Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 314 conducted an F-35C expeditionary operations demonstration at Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center (MCAGCC) Twentynine Palms, Calif., on December 3. Two of the squadron’s jets landed for the first time using the M-31 expeditionary arresting gear, which acts much like the arresting cable on an aircraft carrier. The gear enables Marine F-35Cs and F/A-18s to be flexible and land on much smaller runways. It is designed for aircraft carrier use but can be set up at an airfield of opportunity – from an island in the middle of the ocean to a remote airfield in the desert. (Read more...)