DESPITE SOFTWARE GLITCHES, F-35 OP SQUADRON HAD 98 PERCENT SORTIE COMPLETION
Despite software glitches the first-ever Joint Strike Fighter operational squadron had a 98 percent sortie completion rate during a recent Red Flag joint integration exercise, according to a Marine Corps official.
Maj. Michael O'Brien, Marine Fighter Attack Squadron-121 operations officer, told Inside the Navy during an Aug. 8 interview the squadron only had one sortie where it was unable to provide aircraft during Red Flag16-3. Red Flag is an exercise hosted by the Air Force several times a year at Nellis Air Force Base, NV.
The six Marine Corps JSF aircraft used during the exercise were operating with two different versions of Block 3i software. It is not the same version of Block 3i the Air Force is using on its F-35s for which the service recently identified for initial operational capability.
O'Brien said the software issues need to be fixed but his team was able to see what it needed to complete its mission during Red Flag.
The exercise was a "huge part" in building confidence for JSF pilots in the airframe. It really proved to the Air Force the jet was wartime ready, he added.
This is the first time the F-35B short-takeoff-and-vertical-landing aircraft participated during a large-scale exercise. Red Flag 16-3 had about 3,500 service members involved during the exercise. The training scenarios require the Air Force, Army, Marine Corps and Navy to come together.
VMFA-121 had approximately 200 Marines at Red Flag and 14 F-35B pilots, O'Brien said.
Red Flag 16-3 lasted from July 11-29 and Marines were present to support the exercise from June 28 through July 31. VMFA-121 brought the main Autonomic Logistics Information System server to Red Flag. The deployable version stayed at Marine Air Station Yuma, AZ and was used for the aircraft there, Marine Corps spokeswoman 2nd Lt. Casey Littesy wrote in an Aug. 9 email to ITN.
The events during Red Flag were focused on defensive and offensive counter air exercises, strategic attacks, targeting and combat search and rescue training.
O'Brien said none of the events focused on close air support but instead were air-to-air focused, according to O'Brien.
This was the first time the F-35 had worked with the F-22 Raptor. The fifth generation fighter was able to take pressure off of the F-22s because it could identify threats sooner and strike faster than the fourth generation aircraft, O'Brien said.
Other aircraft that participated in the exercise include EA-18G Growlers and F-16 Fighting Falcons. O'Brien said F-35Bs have worked with those aircraft in previous exercises but not on the same scale as at Red Flag.
VMFA-121 is drafting an after action report about its finding at Red Flag and the squadron plans to participate in future iterations of the exercise, O'Brien said.
Hoss
