Marine Fighter Training Squadron 402
ActiveSeptember 2024 – present
Country United States
Branch United States Marine Corps
TypeAggressor squadron
Part ofUnited States Marine Corps Reserve
Garrison/HQMarine Corps Air Station Beaufort, South Carolina
Commanders
Current
commander
LtCol Andrew R. Christ[1]
Insignia
VMFT-402 insignia
Aircraft flown
FighterF-5 Tiger II

Marine Fighter Training Squadron 402 (VMFT-402) is a reserve aircraft squadron of the United States Marine Corps, stationed at Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, South Carolina.[2] It was activated in September 2024 and inherited the lineage of Marine Medium Helicopter Training Squadron 402 (HMMT-402).[3] The squadron is set to use 11 Northrop F-5 Tiger IIs which were purchased from the Swiss Air Force, though that number is expected to grow to 13 jets.[4]

The unit was activated with the intention to make adversary training more available to other squadrons, as the Marine Corps had only one other aggressor squadron prior, VMFT-401.[5] VMFT-402's objective is to support VMFAT-501 and the squadrons of Marine Aircraft Group 14 (MAG-14) in their transition to the Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning II.[6]

References

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  1. ^ "Marine Fighter Training Squadron 402". Marine Forces Reserve. Retrieved 30 April 2024.
  2. ^ "2022 United States Marine Corps Aviation Plan" (PDF). United States Marine Corps Aviation. pp. 132–133. Retrieved 11 August 2022.
  3. ^ MCBUL 5400 Activation of VMFT-402 MAG-41 4th MAW. 11 August 2022. Retrieved 4 June 2024.
  4. ^ Kaminski, Tom (6 April 2022). "Aircraft Report: Adversarial F-5 Tigers". Combat Aircraft Journal. Retrieved 15 October 2022.
  5. ^ Reed, Patrick (May 2023). "VMFT-401: The Corps' Adversary Squadron" (PDF). Leatherneck Magazine. Marine Corps Association. p. 20. Retrieved 25 June 2023.
  6. ^ "Aircraft Procurement, Navy Budget Activities 06−07" (PDF). United States Department of the Navy. March 2023. Retrieved 25 June 2023.
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