The mainstay of the USMC’s fixed-wing air fleet is its attack aircraft. The AV-8B Harrier II is a single-seat attack jet that is capable of making vertical takeoffs and landings due to its V/STOL technology. After taking off, it can shift the direction of its thrust and proceed into forward flight. The Corps’ main fighter attack jet is the F/A-18 Hornet. Although it requires a full-length airfield or an aircraft carrier to to takeoff, the several different variations of the Hornet allow its squadrons to perform a variety of air-to-air and attack missions.

Marine Corps helicopter pilots are often right in or close to the action on the ground. CH-46E Sea Knights and CH-53D Sea Stallions insert Marine infantrymen onto the battlefield, while AH-1W Super Cobras and UH-1N Hueys provide close air support for those ground personnel.

Many of these helicopters, such as the CH-53 and the UH-1, have been in service for decades. The Marine Corps is currently developing new aircraft to replace these older service models. The new V-22 Osprey, a hybrid helicopter/fixed-wing aircraft, is capable of landing and taking off like a helicopter and then rotating its propellors 90 degrees forward to travel like an airplane. Also being developed are the AH-1Z Viper and the UH-1Y Venom. These modified versions of the Cobra and Huey are equipped with the latest flight and combat technology in order to meet the demands of the modern battlefield.

These advances in aviation technology attest to the fact that Marine Corps aviation is constantly evolving to maintain its edge on the modern battlefield. Since the first Marine aviators in 1917 and the Marine squadrons serving throughout the Pacific during World War II, Marine Aviation has earned a powerful reputation and still maintains its proud heritage today. ]]> http://www.usmc.net/76/marine-corps-aviation/feed/ 0 http://www.usmc.net/63/marine-force-recon/ http://www.usmc.net/63/marine-force-recon/#comments Wed, 03 Mar 2010 19:50:14 +0000 ArinF http://www.usmc.net/?p=63 Since its activation in June of 1957, the United States Marine Corps Force Recon has served as one of the elite units in the special operations community. The idea for Force Recon was inspired by the Marine Amphibious Recon Units of World War II, which worked alongside the Navy Combat Demolitions Teams (the predecessors to the US Navy SEALs) to scout landing beaches hours before the main forces assaulted the beachhead. The idea of the Force Recon became a reality during the 1950s, in which General Lemuel Shepherd created a unit to test the various nonconventional warfare techniques utilized by the Recon today.

Force Recon Marines undergo a constant and arduous training regimen, even after they’ve completed their initial training course. In order to qualify for Force Recon, candidates must complete an extensive list of training courses that includes reconnaissance school, SERE school (survival, evasion, resistance, escape), combat diving school, airborne school, and free fall courses. After graduating from these courses, Marines must continue to hone their skills by attending advanced specialized courses in their assigned area of expertise (ie. scout sniper school or laser operators course).

As a result of their extensive training and experience, Force Recon units are capable of carrying out a variety of missions. Their missions are broken down into two main categories: green operations and black ops.

As hinted in their title, Force Recon Marines are capable of conducting long-range reconnaissance in any environment. These ‘green’ operations rely on the stealth of these small, versatile units. If their position is given away, then their mission has failed.

Black operations incorporate Direct Action tactics, which allow active engagement of the enemy. During these operations, Force Recon Marines are able to strike the enemy with a devestating blow and then swiftly exfiltrate the target area. Since these mission profiles are more direct, the Recon units often have access to support units such as artillery and close air support.

The Marine Force Recon units are among the most highly trained and deadly military units in the world. So elite is the unit that only several hundred active servicemen fill its ranks. Wherever their mission takes them, they always stay true to their motto: “Swift, Silent, Deadly.”]]> http://www.usmc.net/63/marine-force-recon/feed/ 0