Royal Air Force Air Vice Marshal Gary M. Waterfall, air officer commanding of No 1 Group, visits Marine Fighter Attack Training Squadron 501 aboard Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, Oct. 28. During the tour, Waterfall met with Col. Peter D. Buck, the Air Station commanding officer, to discuss future operations and training regarding the F-35B Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter program aboard MCAS Beaufort. Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort is designated as the Marine Corps’ Center of Excellence where all future fixed-wing pilots will complete initial training prior to designation as F-35B Lightning II JSF pilots. The F-35B Lightning II JSF will replace the Marine Corps’ aging legacy tactical fleet. In addition to replacing the F/A-18A-D Hornet, the Marine Corps will replace the AV-8B Harrier and EA-6B Prowler, essentially necking down to one common tactical fixed-wing aircraft. The integration of the F-35B/C strike fighters will provide the dominant, multi-role, fifth-generation capabilities needed across the full spectrum of combat operations to deter potential adversaries and enable future naval aviation power projection.