The new year of 2025 begins with a Texas bang . Our local base NAS Ft worth KNFW do not dissapoint since on one side of the runway we have the Lockheed Martin Manufacturing Facility and on the other sits the Ft worth Joint Reserve Base housing 301st FW, 24th FS and 457th FS of the US Air Force Reserve flying the all new F-35A Lightning II and a Marine Reserve Squadron VMFA-112 ” Cowboys” flying the legacy F/A-18 fighter bomber. The base also house the 36th Airlift Wing of the Texas Air National Guard ” Ropers” and its flying component, the 181st Airlift Squadron, fly new stretch versions of the C-130J airlifter. MAG-41, a Marine Aircraft Group, with VMGR-234 (KC-130J), VMR-1 (C-40A), and various ground units are also located at NAS Fort Worth JRB. VR-59 flies the C-40A personnel and cargo transport.
Here we will be showing this January’s action going from each units.
301st FW consists of both active and reserve squadrons 457th FS being the Reserve and 24th FS for the Active units. A total of 26 Lightning IIs will eventually be assigned to the unit. The 301st will be the only Air Force Reserve Command unit to operate the fifth-generation fighter without being associated to an active unit and the second Air Force Reserve F-35 unit. F-35A deliveries to the wing are expected until 2026. Currently they run a mix of F-35A with her TX tail coded F35A and a few Hill AFB coded jets.
US Marines VMFA-112 Cowboys
The Marines did not go with the newer Boeing F/A-18E/F Superhornet but kept flying the legacy Hornets.
The big guys of 136th Airlift Wingflying the Hercules C130J
Marine VMGR-234 flying the KC-130J
Lockheed Martin action consists of all the different variants of the F-35 including the A model , B VSTOL version and the Naval Carrier base C model, They usually run with a chase plane usually another F-35 or a Dassualt MIrage F-1CT or F-1CR fighter run by a contract company ATAC.
