First Marine Corps Night Vision Combat Capable Prowler Squadron
Submitted by: MCAS Cherry Point
Story Identification Number: 2002102184443
Story by Lance Cpl. Jessica L. Moss
Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, N.C.(August 8, 2002) -- Marine Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadron 3 became the first Marine Corps EA-6B Prowler squadron to qualify with night vision combat capabilities.
A detachment of VMAQ-3 and Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron 14 Marines departed for training at MCAS Yuma, Ariz., Aug. 16. The squadron trained with night vision equipment with the support of Marine Air Weapons and Tactics Squadron 1 (MAWTS-1).
"We now have five fully-qualified night vision combat capable crews," said LtCol. Wade C. Hall, commanding officer, VMAQ-3. "We had planned for four qualified crews but were able to go beyond our expectations." Marines from VMAQ-3 spent three weeks at Yuma to train with night vision devices (NVDs). Yuma was chosen as the location for intensive training because of ideal weather and flying conditions.
Yuma was also chosen because it's the home of MAWTS-1, the Night Systems Standardization Manager for all Naval and Marine Corps Aviation that initiated development of the devices in EA-6Bs with an evaluation conducted in 1996.
"Our qualification as a night vision combat capable squadron is an accumulation of many years of effort by a lot of people to get EA-6Bs into the night vision arena," said Hall. Twenty sets of night vision devices now belong to VMAQ-3. Each set costs thousands of dollars.
"The only weakness of NVDs is overconfidence," said Hall. "Although you can see at night, night vision devices reduce your field of view. The normal daytime field of view is 180 degrees, but with NVDs, the field of view is 40 degrees.
Obviously, night vision goggles enable us to see many more things than we normally could at night," said Hall. "Night vision goggles allow us to rapidly pick up things in the visual spectrum, and that gives us a better reaction time to missile threats and air-to-air artillery. It also allows us to see both enemy and friendly forces.
"The Prowler was previously the only tactical jet that didn't have night vision capabilities," said Hall. "When everyone else has capabilities that you don't have, it limits what you can do in hostile territory."
Marines from VMAQ-3 totaled 174 flight hours while deployed to Yuma. Aircrews attended extensive training with defensive tactics and night vision equipment in order to become night vision qualified.
"This was an extremely successful deployment, and an outstanding Moondog-Team effort," said LtCol. Timothy B. Cutright, executive officer, VMAQ-3. "The training accomplished is invaluable to our combat readiness. VMAQ-3 Maintenance Marines worked extremely hard in Yuma and Cherry Point to ensure our aircraft were ready day and night in order to accomplish the planned training.
"Our aircrew were well prepared for their events and professionally executed the new EA-6B NVD program and an always dynamic DEFTAC [defensive tactics] syllabus," said Cutright. "The Moondogs benefited from outside support which facilitated our success. Our NATEC [Naval Air Technical and Engineering Service Command] representatives proved invaluable and we received critical and timely support from MALS-14 [Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron 14].
"All the necessary ingredients for mission accomplishment were in place," said Cutright. "Many individuals in the Marine Corps and on the civilian side worked many hours to make this possible," said Hall. "Our success is a testament to the dedication and hard work of the Marines and civilians to come work in austere conditions. We have 100 percent success rate in mission accomplishment, and that shows the true spirit of the Moondog Marines as warriors.
"I think it's fitting that the first Marine Corps Prowler squadron to achieve night vision capabilities is the Moondogs, the dogs that howl by the moon," said Hall.
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