Marines with Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 251 advanced F-35 and other fixed-wing aircraft ground operations by integrating improved communication and digital interoperability capabilities. They demonstrated these advancements during Weapons and Tactics Instructors course 2-26 at Marine Aviation Weapons and Tactics Squadron One (MAWTS-1), Marine Corps Air Station, Yuma, Arizona, on April 13, 2026. Marines from VMFA-251 led the effort and used training opportunities at MAWTS-1 during WTI to improve coordination between pilots and ground crews. They increased efficiency during aircraft turnaround operations by utilizing gear from the Digital Interoperability (DI) kits compatible with fifth-generation technology. The Marine Corps DI kit is a suite of hardware, software, and networked devices that connect Marines across incompatible systems. This enables Marines to share situational awareness and coordinate more effectively across the Marine Air Ground Task Force.
Chief Warrant Officer 2 Eladio Vega, avionics officer with VMFA-251, integrated the capability and translated its technical applications into operational use. “The DI kit consolidates data from multiple communication systems onto a single platform allowing a cohesive flow of information between different military assets,” Vega said. “Using the MAGTAB, Marines can view aircraft location, fuel states, and remaining ordnance in real time, giving ground crews advance knowledge of aircraft needs before landing which is something we couldn’t do before. This eliminates secondhand communication across the flight line and allows maintainers to respond immediately with the information they receive directly from the pilot. Now, instead of relying on a single point of contact, multiple maintenance sections can monitor the same frequency and receive information from the pilot in real time.”
Marines observed communication delays and limited situational awareness on the flightline, which slowed maintenance and rearming operations. Chief Warrant Officer 2 Jory D. Reed, an aviation ordnance officer with VMFA-251, spearheaded the effort, identified these gaps, and pursued solutions using existing and emerging technologies. “A lot of this came from observing how Marines execute the mission and identifying where time and effort could be streamlined. The goal was to make those processes both more efficient and repeatable. Now we can see what assets the aircraft has expended and what it will require before it even touches down. That gives us the ability to respond faster and more accurately, preparing exactly what’s needed ahead of time instead of moving excess ordnance and equipment once the aircraft arrives. Previously, maintainers relied on relayed communication or were required to wait for pilots to shut down and disembark before troubleshooting could begin.” Reed said. “The direct connection the F-35 Lightning II ICS cable provides immediate coordination; this allows ground crews to diagnose and resolve problems while keeping the aircraft operational.”
VMFA-251 Marines integrated the DI equipment and enhanced situational awareness across the flight line. They integrated specialized Digital Interoperability hardware to securely relay Link 16 data to ground-based tablets. The Link 16 is a secure tactical data link that shares real-time information like aircraft position, fuel status, and mission data between units. By extending Link 16 to F-35 ground crews, Marines can now directly receive and send this data, which improves coordination, planning, and aircraft turnaround on the ground. This increased awareness enables Marines to prepare precisely for incoming aircraft, which reduces the need to stage excess ordnance and minimizes equipment movement on the flight line. These combined capabilities reduce Marines’ physical workload and improve the speed and efficiency of rearming and refueling operations in resource limited environments. Marines also evaluated newly developed, first of its kind primary support capabilities during WTI exercises. They used a direct communication system utilizing the F-35 Lightning II Internal Communication System, which connects maintainers directly to the aircraft and enables real-time communication with pilots without requiring them to exit the cockpit.
Marines also integrated the handheld radios to expand communication across the flight line during operations. They used the radio to establish a shared frequency between pilots and multiple maintenance sections, allowing personnel across avionics, ordnance, airframes, and maintenance control to monitor and communicate in real time. Marines were able to identify a compatible frequency range establishing a clear connection that enabled pilots to relay aircraft status and discrepancies prior to take-off. MAWTS-1 provided the operational environment necessary to test and validate these capabilities under realistic conditions, allowing VMFA-251 Marines to refine their approach and demonstrate its effectiveness. Chief Warrant Officer 2 Richard Wildenhain, an aviation ordnance officer and expeditionary ordnance course director with MAWTS-1, supported the integration and evaluation of the systems during training events. MAWTS-1 provides a venue to take concepts like this and apply them in a realistic training environment
Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 251 (VMFA-251) is a United States Marine Corps F-35C Lightning II squadron. Known as the “Thunderbolts”, the squadron is based at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, North Carolina. The squadron’s aircraft use the callsign T-Bolt or Sword. VMFA-251, known as the “Thunderbolts” or “T-Bolts,” deactivated during a ceremony on April 23, 2020, aboard MCAS Beaufort, South Carolina, after returning from a deployment in 2020 in support of Operation Inherent Resolve. The Thunderbolts’ deactivation concluded its 34 years as a F/A-18 Hornet squadron. The squadron was relocated to MCAS Cherry Point to begin its F-35 transition. VMFA-251 has received its first F-35C as of September 17, 2024. and was reactivated on December 5, 2024.
