USMC F-35 Project - West Coast

[JNDVirtual]

Understanding that the F-35B is yet to be modeled for FSX, I've used the existing F-35A model and whipped up some textures for them.

The first USMC unit to gain the F-35 is the schoolhouse squadron, VMFAT-501, at Eglin AFB, Florida. The first operational F-35B squadron. VMFA-121 at MCAS Yuma, Arizona, is already receiving F-35Bs.

So after about a week of sheer boredom and FSX tinkering, I have basically completed my version of the West Coast basing of the F-35s. I've updated some bases (some are scratch-built AFCADs; others update current MAIW work, so they may not see the light of day) and created some flightplans as well. I based the flightplans on the latest USMC purchase plan that was unveiled in September 2013:

The new USMC plan detailed in the April hearing is very different, and comes with a significant drop in the overall number of squadrons, probably due to the need to achieve significant savings in the budget.
The USMC now plans to have:

9 squadrons of F-35B (16-aircraft each)
5 squadrons of F-35B (10-aircraft each)
4 squadrons of F-35C (10-aircraft each)
2 squadrons of F-35B (Reserve) (10-aircraft each)
1 Operational Evaluation Squadron (6 F-35B)

2 Fleet Replacement Squadrons of F-35B (25 aircraft each)
10 F-35C provided for training alongside the USN's own training fleet, probably enabling the US Navy to stand up 16 instead of 15 F-35C squadrons, keeping the total of 20.

Source

Using other sources, I decided to base three squadrons each at MCAS Yuma and MCAS Miramar, five at MCAS Cherry Point, and two at MCAS Beaufort (where both FRSs, including VMFAT-501, will be moving). I left the Reserve unit at NAS Fort Worth JRB and reactivated a Reserve squadron at Cherry Point. I also added the OT&E squadron (the fictional VMX-35) at Yuma.

The Yuma squadrons are using some of the flightplans that the MAIW Harriers used, and one squadron each from Yuma and Miramar also flies to the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center at Twentynine Palms, California (I have updated the AFCAD for that facility as well). To simulate aircraft deployments, I took four aircraft from each squadron at Miramar and Yuma and two from the Reserve squadron at Fort Worth and stationed them at either MCB Hawaii (Kaneohe) or Joint Force Marianas (Andersen). That puts 13 aircraft each at those two overseas locations. I will also update MCAS Iwanuki and place one squadron there as well.

And just for the heck of it, I also made some textures for VMGR-352 (the KC-130J unit at Miramar) using the HTAI C-130J and converted the MAIW P-3 Orion units at Kaneohe Bay to the new P-8A Poseidon and gave them new flightplans, too.

Now for the hard part: which squadrons to use! Some of it is guesswork, and some of it is reading other sources. So for the West Coast version, I used the following squadrons (mainly chosen based on current presence of callsigns in the MAIW package):

MCAS Yuma: VMFA-121, VMFA-211, VMFA-214, VMX-35 (fictional OT&E squadron)
MCAS Miramar: VMFA-225, VMFA-232, VMFA-314
NAS Fort Worth JRB: VMFA-112
MCB Hawaii: four aircraft each from Miramar squadrons and one aircraft from Fort Worth)
Joint Forces Marianas: four aircraft each from Yuma squadrons and one aircraft from Fort Worth)

So basically, the following fields were either updated from MAIW to remove the F/A-18 parking or made-from-scratch AFCADs:
KLGF - Laguna Army Airfield (Yuma Proving Ground)
KNDT - Naval Base Ventura County (Point Mugu)
KNKX - MCAS Miramar
KNSI - NOLF San Nicolas Island
KNUC - NALF San Clemente Island
KYUM - MCAS Yuma
NXP - Twentynine Palms SELF
PGUA - Joint Base Marianas (Andersen AFB)
PHNG - MCB Hawaii (Kaneohe Bay)

Whew! That was a lot! Sorry for the novel I just wrote, but if anyone has input, I'd be interested in hearing it. I may try to put out a beta version of just the work I did (don't want to step on MAIW's toes by re-releasing updates to their work) or just let it be my own personal project, I don't know yet. But if you've got F-35 news that may help, let me know!

[Victory103]

Wow, great detail and really a fantastic project given the limited details on how the F-35 is going to based for the Marines. Just to add, the KC-130J squadron is already part of the MAIW package, just to save you some work. VMA-513 gave up their Harriers and went into cadre status to become a F-35 squadron. That said, agree with just re-using the FPs from the Harrier packages, and callsigns, as VMFA-121 is still using "COMBAT" carried over from their F-18D days.

Not to take away from this USMC focused project, "Joecoastie" completed some initial P-8 repaints for NIP, since then 2 squadrons have transitioned and one just left on it's 1st deployment with the new type. VP-30, the FRS, is training both types, but more airframes continue to arrive.

[JNDVirtual]

Just to add, the KC-130J squadron is already part of the MAIW package, just to save you some work.

Rats! I must've missed them. I know that MAIW did the C-130Ts for the Navy, but I didn't know they did the KCs for the Marines. I'll look for them. *grumbles something about already painting two squadrons worth of 'em and makes a sandwich*

VMA-513 gave up their Harriers and went into cadre status to become a F-35 squadron.

I know that they deactivated and gave their birds to VMA-214, but I didn't know they were transitioning. I may just be out of the loop. The next F-35 unit at Yuma will be VMA-211, so I wonder if 214 is going to deactivate while 513 stands up the F-35 and is the third unit at Yuma to do so.

Thanks for the reminder about cadre status, as I think I found the two Reserve unit that's getting the F-35 (VMFA-132 and VMFA-142). I wonder if that means VMFA-112's deactivating when the Hornet goes away. I don't know if the reserve units (I'm making the assumption that VMFA-112 will also transition to the F-35) are staying in Fort Worth or are moving to a coast (the original 2010 basing plan had one Reserve unit moving to either Beaufort or Cherry Point, but the 2013 plan doesn't list basing locations). In addition, VMFA-212 (Miramar) and VMFA(AW)-332 (Beaufort) are also sourced as in cadre for transition, so that may solve more of the puzzle (though it doesn't say what's being cut).

The big challenge is that a squadron of F/A-18s has 12 birds, while an F-35 squadron will have either ten or 16 birds based on the new plan. Basing it only on aircraft numbers that are divisible (the smallest number is 48), that's a loss of one Hornet squadron (12 x 4) for every three F-35 squadrons (16 x 3). So the challenge is seeing what's deactivating for good and what's merely in cadre.

Thanks for the heads-up about the P-8. That was more of a quickie project to make Kaneohe look good.

I updated flightplans to reflect deployed aircraft. I think an MEU has six Harriers, so I'm basing six F-35s each at Bahrain, Guam, and Diego Garcia (two each from Miramar and Yuma); and Sigonella, Crete, and one other base (two each from Beaufort and Cherry Point) to reflect the six MEUs (not counting the one in Japan).

Thanks for the info, Victory!

[thetford569]

Great project! I live in the Ft. Worth, TX area and at this time there are no plans that I know of for VMFA-112 to transition to the F-35B. They are still in Hornets for now and I would imagine they will keep collecting F-18s with less hours to continue operation until a further decision is made.

Brandon

[JNDVirtual]

Thanks for the update, Thetford! I have decided to backburner textures for VMFA-112 until I get more info.

Here's a shot of VMFA-142 out of cadre status and on the flightline at MCAS Cherry Point. I'm amending the flightplans to utilize some of the nearby outlying fields and to also use some missions from the MAIW Cherry Point Harriers plans as well.

VMFA-134 and VMFA-142 will probably be the first releases from what I'm calling the "Semper Flight 2020" project. Stay tuned, as the MK Air Base kinda took my attention away from this one, but I'm still at it!

[JNDVirtual]

Just a status update as I get things ready for a potential beta release (still painting textures)...

Here's what I have so far in terms of units for which I will paint F-35 textures:

West Coast:
MCAS Miramar: VMFA-134 (Reserve), VMFA-225, VMFA-232, VMFA-314
MCAS Yuma: VMFA-121, VMFA-211, VMFA-214, VMX-35 (OT&E squadron; fictional designation)
MCAS Iwanuki: VMFA-212

East Coast:
MCAS Beaufort: VMFA-122, VMFA-332, VMFAT-101, VMFAT-501
MCAS Cherry Point: VMFA-142 (Reserve), VMFA-223, VMFA-224, VMFA-231, VMFA-533, VMFA-542

Flightplans will reflect some aircraft as deployed to simulate assignment aboard amphibious carriers and such:

West Coast deployed locations
11 MEU Deployment: OAZI - Camp Bastion
13 MEU Deployment: FJDG - Diego Garcia
15 MEU Deployment: OBBS - Isa AB, Bahrain

East Coast deployed locations
22 MEU Deployment: LICZ - NAS Sigonella, Italy
24 MEU Deployment: LGSA - Souda Bay, Greece
26 MEU Deployment: HDAM - Camp Lemonnier, Djibouti

ADDITIONAL AIRCRAFT
- F-5s at VMFAT-401 will be replaced by F/A-18s (this is NOT confirmed real-world, but the Marines want to replace the F-5s eventually)
- I have two fictional F-35 version of EA-6B Prowler units (VMAQ-1 and VMAQ-2) which are scheduled to be deactivated by 2020. The Marines have so far declined a request for a EW variant of the F-35.
- All KC-130 units will have J models. Active-duty squadrons will also increase to 15 aircraft, while Reserve aircraft will remain at 12.
- Each KC-130 unit will have aircraft also deployed overseas, and VMGR-152 will move from MCAS Futenma to MCAS Iwanuki
- The UC-12s will be upgraded to W models using the default Super King Air 350; two will be placed at each VMR

Again, feedback or suggestions are appreciated.

[Bpoostrander]

First post, long time lurker.

Awesome project you have going here! I'm very much looking forward to your planned beta release.

Suggestions. Do you think there is a chance VX-31 or VX-9 will be receiving F-35Bs? If so, it might be worth putting into your package.

[JNDVirtual]

Suggestions. Do you think there is a chance VX-31 or VX-9 will be receiving F-35Bs? If so, it might be worth putting into your package.

As those are primarily U.S. Navy units, I have not done any research at this time to see if they will or will not. With that said, the fictional VMX-35 unit (which in real life could very well end up being a detachment of one of those two units) I have at MCAS Yuma will be dropping into China Lake from time to time.

I did base the fictional unit on the current budgeting that allocates six F-35Bs for an OT&E squadron, and the inspiration came from the real-world VMX-22 "Argonauts" that does OT&E for the MV-22 Osprey.

[JosefK]

The Marines probably plan on integrating the Next Generation Jammer/NGJ into the F-35, hence the decline for a EW version of the F-35.

[JosefK]

converted the MAIW P-3 Orion units at Kaneohe Bay to the new P-8A Poseidon and gave them new flightplans, too.

The P-8A will be based out of NAS Jacksonville and by 2016, NAS Whidbey Island. Assuming a "noise agitation group" called COER doesn't close NAS Whidbey Island!!

[JosefK]

How is this project going?

[JNDVirtual]

I am slowly but surely reconstructing this project from the HD crash I suffered. It's backburnered but still on the docket. I've got one bird from each projected unit painted; just have to update some fields and correct some flight plans. More to follow.

[JosefK]

Thanks much and good luck!