Tag Archives: U.S. Central Command

Marines See Future for Special Purpose MAGTFs Even As Ship Count Rises

Marines See Future for Special Purpose MAGTFs Even As Ship Count Rises

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Landing Support Specialists with Special Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force-Crisis Response-Africa conduct helicopter support team drills with an MV-22B Osprey at Morón Air Base, Spain, Oct. 4, 2017. SPMAGTF-CR-AF deployed to conduct limited crises-response and theatre-security operation in Europe and North Africa. US Marine Corps photo.

THE PENTAGON – The Marine Corps may have expanded its use of ground-based Special Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Forces (SP-MAGTFs) in response to a shortage of amphibious ships to carry Marines around the globe, but Marine Corps leadership says the service is committed to these units even as the number of available amphibious ships is rising. Read More →

Marines Prepared to Use F-35Bs in Middle East Combat If Needed; No Other Naval Aviation Nearby

Marines Prepared to Use F-35Bs in Middle East Combat If Needed; No Other Naval Aviation Nearby

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F-35B Lightning II, attached to the “Avengers” of Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 211, sit on the flight deck of Wasp-class amphibious assault ship USS Essex (LHD 2) on Sept. 4, 2018, while transiting the Indian Ocean with San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock USS Anchorage (LPD 23) during a regularly scheduled deployment of Essex Amphibious Ready Group (ARG) and 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU). The Essex ARG and 13th MEU is the first U.S. Navy/Marine Corps team to deploy to U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations with the F-35B Lightning II. US Navy photo.

The Marine Corps’ F-35B Lightning II Joint Strike Fighters are the only ship-based fixed-wing aircraft in the Middle East right now, and service leaders say the new jets are ready to handle any fight in Syria, Iraq or Afghanistan they may be tasked with. Read More →

Crisis Response Marines in Middle East Focused on Operations in Syria, Afghanistan

Crisis Response Marines in Middle East Focused on Operations in Syria, Afghanistan

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U.S. Marines with 2nd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, Special Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force – Crisis Response – Central Command train in Jordan on Feb. 26, 2018. US Marine Corps Photo

ARLINGTON, Va. — The Marine Corps’ Special Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force (MAGTF) Crisis Response force in U.S. Central Command is becoming increasingly distributed across the Middle East as its role evolves, but it is gaining additional aircraft and a ship it can call upon to help support its vastly spread out operations. Read More →

French Amphib Participates in Alligator Dagger off Djibouti; First Year France Included in Exercise

French Amphib Participates in Alligator Dagger off Djibouti; First Year France Included in Exercise

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U.S. Marines with the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit and French Navy sailors offload from a French landing catamaran at Arta Beach, Djibouti, while conduction amphibious training during Alligator Dagger. US Marine Corps photo.

About 1,000 sailors and Marines from the United States and France trained together in the annual Alligator Dagger amphibious exercise, in the first time France has been brought into the unilateral exercise off the coast of Djibouti.

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Navy, Marines Ponder Alternative Platforms' Role as First ESB Now Operating in 5th Fleet

Navy, Marines Ponder Alternative Platforms’ Role as First ESB Now Operating in 5th Fleet

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AH-1 Cobra and UH-1 Huey helicopters assigned to Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron (VMM) 161 (Reinforced) land on the flight deck of the expeditionary mobile base USS Lewis B. Puller (ESB 3) in support of Alligator Dagger 2017. Alligator Dagger is a dedicated, unilateral combat rehearsal led by Naval Amphibious Force, Task Force 51, 5th Marine Expeditionary Brigade. Combined Navy and Marine Corps units of the America Amphibious Ready Group and embarked 15th Marine Expeditionary Units are to practice, rehearse and exercise integrated capabilities that are available to U.S. Central Command, both afloat and ashore. US Navy photo.

ANNAPOLIS, Md. — The Navy and Marine Corps are committed to using alternative platforms to move Marines around at sea, but there are still decisions yet to be made about how to maximize these ships’ effectiveness and minimize risk while operating independently or as part of a strike group. Read More →

Kremlin Pledges to Target U.S. Anti-ISIS Coalition Aircraft After ‘Cynical’ Super Hornet Shoot-Down of Syrian Fighter

Kremlin Pledges to Target U.S. Anti-ISIS Coalition Aircraft After ‘Cynical’ Super Hornet Shoot-Down of Syrian Fighter

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An F/A-18E Super Hornet attached to the “Golden Warriors” of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 87 launches from the flight deck of the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush (CVN-77) on June 6, 2017. US Navy Photo

Russia claims it will no longer be party to the airspace deconfliction agreement with the U.S.-led anti-ISIS coalition and will treat coalition air contacts as potential enemy air threats after a U.S. fighter downed a Syrian jet, according to a Monday statement released from the Kremlin. Read More →

UPDATED: U.S. Navy Super Hornet Shoots Down Syrian Jet Near ISIS Stronghold Raqqah

UPDATED: U.S. Navy Super Hornet Shoots Down Syrian Jet Near ISIS Stronghold Raqqah

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An F/A-18E Super Hornet assigned to the “Tomcatters” of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 31 launches from the aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush (CVN-77) on June 9, 2017. US Navy Photo

This post has been updated with a statement from Syrian forces.

A U.S. Navy Super Hornet has shot down a regime Syrian fighter near the contested ISIS stronghold of Raqqah, U.S. Central Command said in a Sunday evening statement. Read More →

UPDATED: SEAL Killed in Fleet Week Parachuting Accident Identified as SO1 Remington Peters

UPDATED: SEAL Killed in Fleet Week Parachuting Accident Identified as SO1 Remington Peters

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Undated photo of SO1 Remington J. Peters. Photo courtesy of the US Navy

This post has been updated to include an additional statement from the Naval Special Warfare Center.

The SEAL who was killed in a parachuting accident on Sunday has been identified as Special Warfare Operator 1st Class Remington Peters, according to a late Monday statement from Peters’ family.
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