Page 21 - F-35B and USMC

The Integration of the F-35B into USMC Operations

The F-35 is integrated into every mission that we do, whether it is close air support, helicopter escort, or, at
the high end, air interdiction operations against a high-end threat including integrated air defense as well.

When we come back from a typical WTI mission exercise, and we debrief it with the helo and fixed wing
guys and the C2 guys and the ground combat guys, more often than not it is the F-35 which is identified
as the critical enabler to mission success.

It is the situational awareness we gain from that platform, certainly when dealing with a higher end threat like
dealing with air defense, that provides us with capabilities we have in no other platform.

I am pleased with where we are with the airplane right now.

We have declared IOC and we are getting to deploy it to Japan.

FIGURE 5 THE MAWTS-1 LOGO AS SEEN ON THE MAWTS-1 BUILDING AT YUMA MCAS. CREDIT: SECOND LINE OF DEFENSE
Question: How does the integration of the F-35 into your operations, change how you think about those
operations?
Col. Wellons: A lot of that can be quickly classified but let me give you an example, which does not fall into
that category.

Historically, when we could come off of L class ship with Mv-22s, CH-53s, Cobras and Harriers and we then
faced a serious AAA or MANPADS threat we would avoid that objective area.

Now we do not need to do so.
It changes the entire concept of close air support.

In Afghanistan and Iraq we have not had prohibitive interference in our air operations.

With double digit SAMS as part of threat areas we are likely to go, the F-35 allows us to operate in such
areas.

Without the presence of the F35, it would be a mission that we wouldn’t be capable of executing.

The SA of the airplane is a game changer for us.

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