Coming straight in for landing at runway 03L is FA-18D from VMFA (AW)533 . It uses the ATARS (Advanced Tactical Airborne Reconnaisance System) which has replaced the nose gun
The first fiscal year 2018 WTI exercise was held from 4 September till 22 October 2017, this US Marines exercise held twice a year at Marine Corps Air Station Yuma in Arizona. Planned and organised by the Marine Aviation Weapons and Tactics Squadron One (AWTS-1), this seven week-long course is about mission planning, tactics and weapon employment, air combat, aerial refueling, advanced aircraft maintenance, assault support, transportation support and other training. The first three weeks are mostly academic and the last two weeks the FINEX (final exercise) within the WTI, which usually means most of the flying operations are during daytime but night flying is also conducted.
The CH-53E Super Stallion of the US Marines is to be replaced by brand new CH-53K King Stallions
MCAS Yuma is situated in the south west of Arizona state surrounded by desert. The action for the WTI happened at the Chocolate Mountain Aerial Gunnery Range and the Yuma Proving Grounds. The gunnery range is an open area (456.000 acres) with large land and airspace areas for air tactics, close air support missions,operations with laser systems, air to ground bombing, rocket and strafing exercises. The entire range of live and inert ordnance were authorised to be used in specific areas. The Chocolate Mountain Impact Area has five different areas, with numerous individual targets like vehicle hulks, convoys, ground to air sites, simulated airfields and headquaters complexes. There is an certain Inert Line or also referred as ‘Bleu Line’, that follows the Chocolate Mountain ridge. Areas north of this line can be used for dropping live ordnance and to the south, the inert ordnance. The (EAF) on the range are used frequently during the WTI. The EAF’s are built at any flat terrain and with aviation support systems, gives the opportunity for rapid deployment and recovery of aircraft within the range of ground forces. To support the helicopters there are landing strips at the range like the Landing Zone Bull, which is a forward arming and refueling point. From hereon the helicopters can, for instance, execute their urban Close Air Support for US Marines battalions. One of the exercises the ground troops were involved in was conducting room clearing drills. During the WTI 2-17, which ended in April 2017, they prepared an Marine Expeditionary Unit Exercise (MEUEX). Ground troops had to seize and simulated airfield, with the intention to seize and have an foothold in an coastal area.
MV-22B Osprey from VMM-263 takes off from runway 26 in a right turn on its way to the mountain ranges. Some fifteen MV-22s were temporarily stationed at Yuma MCAS for the exercise, including one aircraft from VMX-1
At least four F-35As from VMFA-121 participated at this WTI
The Yuma Proving Grounds are one of the largest military installations in the world. Situated 32 miles from MCAS Yuma and covering 870,000 acres, this facilitates training for around hundred units of the Army and Marine Corps each year. The proving ground is also the premier test facility for the US, where weaponry and technology is tested. Apart from the United States, other nations also use this installation for their testing. Even though most of the proving ground area is devoted to testing, there is an 88 kilometres artillery range, where smart weapon systems and roadside bomb countermeasures are tested. The artillery range has a live firing area, Graza Range, which supports machine gun exercises up to 50 calibre, but also platoon and squad exercises. Another live firing area is the Tow Town facility, which can be used for inert light, medium and heavy anti armour weapons. The Yuma Proving Grounds has all kind of different protection equipment available. Ground weapon systems from small to long range artillery, helicopter armament, artillery and tank munitions, land mines and mine removal systems. The installation has its own airfield, Laguna Army Airfield , using two runways. There are several airstrips and twelve drop zones for unmanned aerial systems at the airfield.
The only aggressor unit of the US Marines is VMFT-401. This squadron is stationed at Yuma MCAS and flies several F-5Ns and one F-5F “Franken Tiger”
For the WTI 1-18 exercise, many US Marines aircraft and helicopters were deployed to MCAS Yuma. The squadrons stationed at the base were also involved. It looked like a smaller class during this WTI since a lot of sunsheds at the ramp area were totally empty. The ramp at the north side of the base were used to house the FA-18s. Many UH-1s, AH-1s and MV-22s could be seen, together with six CH-53s. One of the two US Marines EA-6B Prowler units that are still operational sent five aircraft to Yuma, including the squadron aircraft in special colours. Since the US Marines will stop flying this electronic counter measure aircraft, it just might have been the last time this aircraft would ever participate at WTI. Inevitably now, the US Marines will not fly the EA-18G Growler, but the F-35 should be taking over the Prowlers job in future. For the air-to-air refueling at least four marines KC-130Js were on temporary duty assignment at Yuma and parked on the north side. One of these came all the way from Iwakuni MCAS in Japan. While the exercise continued through the weeks, on certain days some six KC-130s were seen at Yuma, some of these coming from MCAS Miramar in California.
Perhaps it was for the last time that the EA-6B Prowler participated during a WTI exercise
At dusk, four MV-22s on the way back
During WTI 1-18 some AV-8Bs and FA-18Ds were stationed and rotated regularly between the two airfields. This VMA-223 Harrier is seen during landing at El Centro, where it was on TDY with seven other aircraft of this unit
Several colour schemes are used on the American F-5 aggressor units. This particular scheme was painted on two aircraft, one from aggressor unit VFC-13 ( US Navy) and this one from VMFT-401. The aircraft has affectionately been nicknamed, ‘Rotten Banana’
The first ever operational F-35 squadron within the US Marines, VMFA-121, participated with four of their aircraft. This was a kind of surprise since this squadron was sent to their new homebase MCAS Iwakuni in Japan in January 2017 when the squadron became fully operational. To give the fighter pilots some actual combat the agressor unit of the US Marine, VMFT-401 Snipers, flew in the adversary role. Stationed at Yuma this squadron used twelve F-5s which were all ex-Swiss Air Force. Eleven upgraded F-5Ns flew in grey, blue, green/ brown, and yellow/brown colours. The last mentioned was given the name ‘rotten banana’ - you would understand that when you saw it in person!
The USAF participated with an E-8C JSTARS during the WTI exercise
Sometimes the agressor units from the US Marines and US Navy had aircraft on loan from each other due to operational commitments. One F-5N from the US Navy agressors VFC-111 ‘Sundowners’ was on TDY at Yuma during the WTI. This aircraft was already special, due to the colours it was painted in, a three blue coloured retro scheme. The Snipers had brought one very interesting aircraft, which was their F-5F Franken-Tiger ( Frankenstein). Another airfield used during the WTI was the Fallon Naval Air Facility. Located at some fifty miles west of Yuma in California, this airfield is positioned close to ranges used during WTI. Some AV-8Bs from VMA-223 Bulldogs (Cherry Point MCAS) and F/A-18Ds from VMFA(AW)-533 Hawks (Beaufort MCAS) were on TDY.
Four KC-130Js flew out of Yuma MCAS to
provide fighter aircraft with fuel between the missions
Photos and text: Vincent Martens