Miramar-Based Squadron Returns After Flying F-35C Jets in Combat for First Time

Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 314 returned home to Marine Corps Air Station Miramar Saturday after a landmark deployment.

The squadron completed the first combat employment of the F-35C Lightning II during a five-month mission to the Middle East and Eastern Pacific.

While in the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) area of responsibility, VMFA-314 conducted multiple strikes on Houthi weapons storage facilities within Yemen, marking the first use of the F-35C Lightning II in combat operations.

These facilities housed conventional weapons, including anti-ship missiles and one-way attack drones used by the Iranian-backed Houthis to target U.S. military and civilian vessels navigating international waters in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.

“The capabilities and determination of what our team can do amazes me. We made history during our time in the Middle East all due to the tireless work of our Marines and support of the Carrier Strike Group and U.S. forces,” said Lt. Col. Jeffrey Davis, commanding officer of VMFA-314.

The Black Knights flew more than 1,400 flight hours across 770 sorties during the deployment aboard the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72). Of these, 195 hours and 61 sorties were in direct support of combat operations in CENTCOM, where the squadron delivered more than 72,000 pounds of ordnance.

Assigned to Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 9, VFMA-314 took part in exercises and events with allied and partner nations.

The Black Knights participated in the first bilateral Multi-Large Deck Event, held in the Indo-Pacific by the U.S. and Italian Navy on Aug. 9, and conducted joint flight operations with Italian F-35Bs, showcasing the ease of integration among F-35s.

Dual-carrier operations also occurred alongside the Theodore Roosevelt Carrier Strike Group.