F-35B transition for VMA-542
On 1 December 2022, US Marines Corps (USMC) Marine Attack Squadron (VMA) 542 Flying Tigers ('WH-xx') stationed at MCAS Cherry Point (NC) celebrated that it has officially started the transition from the AV-8B Harrier II to the F-35B Lightning II.
Completion of this transition is expected in the Spring of 2023. This also means a redesignation to a slightly new name: Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 542. It is the first USMC unit on the East Coast that becomes operational with the STOVL version of the F-35.
The squadron has a long history dating back to 1944 and it has since seen action in all major conflicts in which the United States was involved.
It started in WW2 and ended with missions in the Baltic region in the ongoing Ukrainian conflict.
During this period of almost 80 years the unit has used a wide variety of aircraft such as the F6F Hellcat, F7F Tigercat, F3D-2 Skynight, F4D-1 Skyray, F-4B Phantom II.
For the last 40 years they have used the Harrier starting with the AV-8A in 1972, stationed at the time at MCAS Beaufort (SC). In 1974 the unit moved north a State to MCAS Cherry Point (NC) and in 1986 it transitioned from the AV-8A and C models to the AV-8B Harrier II.
There are now only two Marine Corps units left that use the AV-8B. These are VMA-223 Bulldogs ('WP-xx') and VMA-231 Ace of Spades ('CG-xx'). Both are also based at Cherry Point. Scheduled retirement for the type is foreseen to be 2027.
Photo (just illustrative) by Rob van Disseldorp via AirHistory.net