Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort

The Future of F-35B Training

Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Beaufort, in Beaufort, South Carolina, has a legacy of flying front-line Marine Corps aircraft. Now, it is the new home of U.S. Marine Corps F-35B pilot training. F-35B pilots from the United Kingdom and Italy will also train at Beaufort.

Marine Fighter Attack Training Squadron 501 (VMFAT-501), known as the “Warlords,” stood up in 2010 at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, and trained the initial group of Marine Corps F-35B pilots there. In late 2014, the Pilot Training Center and Marine Fighter Attack Training Squadron 501 began the first F-35 pilot training course.

The squadron completed its transition to MCAS Beaufort in 2015. Additionally, members of VMFAT-501 supported the successful Operational Test-1 aboard the USS Wasp. Current Marine Corps plans for the base include a second F-35B training squadron and two operational F-35 squadrons.

Visit the MCAS Beaufort website.