Pre-Order Expected Arrival - JAN 2025

Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 542 was initially commissioned as Marine Night Fighter Squadron 542 (VMF(N)-542) on 6 March 1944, at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, North Carolina, flying the F6F Hellcat.

VMFA-542 received its first F-35B on 31 May 2023 and became the Marine Corps' first east coast F-35B fleet squadron after achieving Safe For Flight certification on 11 August 2023. Their first deployment with F-35B, was to Evenes Air Station in Norway to participate in Nordic Response 24.

The F-35 is designed to be stealthy, concealing up to 5,700 pounds of ordnance within its internal weapons bays. When stealth isn't the priority however, it can be configured in "Beast Mode", carrying a total of 22,000 pounds both internally and externally via conventional wing pylons.

Designed to meet the US Military's requirement for a multi-role Joint Strike Fighter, the F-35 was first flown on December 15, 2006. This single-seat fighter is one of the most advanced aircraft of our time, said to be four times more effective at air-to-air combat and eight times more effective at air-to-ground combat than any other existing aircraft. It uses a low-maintenance stealth technology, and some versions have an innovative Lift System, which gives the F-35 vertical take-off and landing capabilities. The US plans to buy a total of 2,443 F-35s at a cost of $323 billion, which makes the F-35 the most expensive defense program in history.

Info:  F-35B Lightning II - USMC VMFA-542 Tigers, WH01 Black Death, MCAS Cherry Point, NC, 2023, Beast Mode Configuration