Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 311
A United States Marine Corps fighter attack squadron known as the Tomcats.
Last updated August 26, 2026
AI crawler reads
No AI crawler has read this profile since Oct 28, 2026.
Overview
Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 311, commonly designated VMFA-311 and known as the Tomcats, is a United States Marine Corps aviation unit equipped with the F-35C Lightning II. The squadron is based at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in California and operates within Marine Aircraft Group 11 of the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing. Its present role centers on carrier-capable fifth-generation fighter-attack operations, including air-to-air combat, precision strike, close air support, and integration with Marine air-ground task forces. The unit was established as Marine Fighting Squadron 311, or VMF-311, on 1 December 1942 at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, North Carolina. During the Second World War it transitioned from SNJ trainers to the Vought F4U Corsair and deployed to the Pacific. It conducted combat patrols and strikes from bases in the Marshall Islands and surrounding areas before taking part in the Battle of Okinawa. The squadron was credited with 71 Japanese aircraft destroyed during four months of Okinawa operations, while also suffering aircraft and personnel losses. After occupation duty in Japan, VMF-311 became the first West Coast Marine jet squadron in 1949, operating the TO-1 Shooting Star and later the F9F Panther. During the Korean War it became the first land-based Marine jet squadron to conduct combat operations, providing close air support and participating in major actions including the attack on the Sui-ho Dam. The unit accumulated more than 18,000 combat sorties during the conflict and later adopted the VMA-311 designation as a Marine attack squadron. The squadron flew the A-4 Skyhawk for approximately three decades. Its Vietnam War deployments included operations from Chu Lai and Da Nang, support for Operation Starlite, the Battle of Khe Sanh, Operation Lam Son 719, and the defense of An Loc. Across operations in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia, VMA-311 flew more than 54,000 combat sorties according to Marine Corps historical accounts. In the late 1980s the Tomcats converted to the AV-8B Harrier II. During the 1991 Gulf War, the squadron led Marine fixed-wing units into Saudi Arabia and became the first unit to employ the AV-8B in combat. It later supported Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom, including amphibious deployments and operations from Iraq. In 2008 its Harriers flew the final Marine Harrier combat missions in Operation Iraqi Freedom, and the squadron was recognized as the Marine Corps Attack Squadron of the Year. VMA-311 was decommissioned at Marine Corps Air Station Yuma on 15 October 2020. It was reactivated on 14 April 2023 as VMFA-311 to transition to the F-35C, working alongside VMFA-314. The squadron declared initial operational capability in July 2024 with six aircraft. Its reactivation restored the Tomcats as a Marine fighter-attack unit while shifting the organization from short-takeoff-and-vertical-landing Harriers to a carrier-capable stealth fighter platform.
History
VMF-311 was commissioned on 1 December 1942 at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point. Initially flying SNJ trainers, it converted to the F4U Corsair in 1943 and deployed to the Pacific aboard USS Nassau. The squadron conducted patrols from American Samoa and later flew strikes against bypassed Japanese positions in the Marshall Islands. A Japanese raid on Roi-Namur in February 1944 destroyed much of its equipment and caused 14 officer and 99 enlisted Marine casualties. In 1945 the squadron moved to Okinawa with F4U-1C Corsairs. It flew combat operations during the Battle of Okinawa and later conducted fighter sweeps against Kyushu. The unit was credited with 71 Japanese aircraft destroyed during the Okinawa campaign. After the war it performed occupation duty in Japan before entering a reduced state during postwar force reorganizations. VMF-311 became the first West Coast Marine jet squadron in 1949, first flying the TO-1 Shooting Star and then the F9F Panther. It deployed to Korea in December 1950 and provided close air support during more than two and a half years of combat. The squadron participated in the Sui-ho Dam attack and developed strip-alert methods that influenced later Marine aviation practice. John Glenn, Ted Williams, and other notable aviators served with the squadron during this period. In 1957 it was redesignated VMA-311. The arrival of the A4D-2 Skyhawk in 1958 began a roughly thirty-year association with the A-4 family. VMA-311 deployed to South Vietnam in 1965, flying missions from Chu Lai and supporting Operation Starlite. Later operations included the Battle of Khe Sanh, support for Operation Lam Son 719, and missions in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia. The squadron returned to Southeast Asia in 1972 during the Easter Offensive and supported the Battle of An Loc. Its final Vietnam War sortie occurred in January 1973. VMA-311 converted to the AV-8B Harrier II beginning in 1988. Following Iraq's invasion of Kuwait, it deployed to Saudi Arabia for Operation Desert Shield and became the first Marine squadron to use the AV-8B in combat during Operation Desert Storm. The Tomcats flew 1,017 combat missions and delivered approximately 840 tons of ordnance during the Gulf War. The squadron later supported operations in Afghanistan and Iraq. Harriers assigned to the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit flew early Operation Enduring Freedom missions in 2001. In 2003, VMA-311 operated from amphibious assault ships during Operation Iraqi Freedom, and subsequent deployments supported operations from Iraq, the Persian Gulf, and Afghanistan. Its 2008 deployment marked the last Marine Harrier combat participation in Operation Iraqi Freedom and included the final Harrier combat missions of that operation. VMA-311 was selected as the Marine Corps Attack Squadron of the Year in 2008. After additional expeditionary and Pacific exercises, including activities associated with the 15th and 31st Marine Expeditionary Units, the squadron deployed to Afghanistan in 2013. VMA-311 was decommissioned at MCAS Yuma on 15 October 2020. It was reactivated on 14 April 2023 as VMFA-311 and began conversion to the F-35C Lightning II. The reactivated unit reached initial operational capability in July 2024 and was subsequently based at MCAS Miramar under Marine Aircraft Group 11 and the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing.
- 2024
Declared F-35C initial operational capability
[1]The squadron reached initial operational capability in July with six F-35C aircraft.
- 2023
Reactivated as VMFA-311
[1]The Tomcats were reactivated on 14 April to transition to the F-35C Lightning II.
- 2020
Decommissioned
[1]VMA-311 was decommissioned at MCAS Yuma on 15 October.
- 2008
Final Harrier combat missions in Operation Iraqi Freedom
[1]The squadron flew the final Marine Harrier combat missions in the operation and was named Marine Corps Attack Squadron of the Year.
- 1991
First Marine AV-8B combat employment
[1]During Operation Desert Storm, Tomcat Harriers conducted the first AV-8B combat missions.
- 1988
Converted to the AV-8B Harrier II
[1]The squadron received its first AV-8B aircraft and entered the Harrier era.
- 1965
Deployed to Vietnam
[1]VMA-311 deployed to Chu Lai and flew its first Vietnam War combat mission on 2 June.
- 1958
Began A-4 Skyhawk era
[1]The first A4D-2 Skyhawk arrived, beginning approximately three decades of Skyhawk operations.
- 1957
Redesignated VMA-311
[1]The squadron adopted the Marine Attack Squadron 311 designation.
- 1950
Entered Korean War combat
[1]The squadron arrived in Korea in December and became the first land-based Marine jet squadron used in combat.
Products and positioning
A frontline Marine Corps fighter-attack squadron combining carrier-capable fifth-generation aircraft with expeditionary aviation, air-to-ground strike, close air support, and air-to-air combat capabilities.
Fifth-generation fighter attack aircraft · 2023
F-35C Lightning II
The F-35C is the squadron's current aircraft. Designed for aircraft-carrier operations, it provides stealth, advanced sensors, networked situational awareness, air-to-air combat, and precision strike capability. VMFA-311 began transitioning to the type after its 2023 reactivation and declared initial operational capability in 2024.
Short-takeoff-and-vertical-landing attack aircraft · 1988
AV-8B Harrier II
The AV-8B Harrier II formed the squadron's principal attack platform from the late 1980s until decommissioning in 2020. It supported expeditionary Marine operations from land bases and amphibious assault ships and was used in the Gulf War, Afghanistan, Iraq, and Pacific deployments.
Light attack aircraft · 1958
A-4 Skyhawk
VMA-311 operated A-4 Skyhawks for about thirty years, beginning with the A4D-2 in 1958. The aircraft was used for Marine close air support, interdiction, bombing, and expeditionary attack missions, including extensive combat operations in Southeast Asia.
Propeller-driven fighter aircraft · 1943
F4U Corsair
The F4U Corsair was the squadron's principal Second World War fighter. VMF-311 converted from SNJ trainers in 1943 and used Corsairs for combat patrols, ground attack, bombing, and air defense across the Pacific, including the Marshall Islands and Okinawa.
Jet fighter · 1949
F9F Panther
The F9F Panther followed the squadron's initial TO-1 jet conversion and was used during the transition into Korean War combat operations. It enabled the unit to provide jet-powered close air support and attack missions for Marine and Army forces.
Marketing campaigns
- 2013Operation Enduring Freedom deployment
Afghanistan
The squadron deployed to Camp Bastion in Helmand Province in support of operations in Afghanistan.
Outcome. The deployment was conducted from April through September 2013.
- 2003Operation Iraqi Freedom
Iraq · Persian Gulf
VMA-311 operated from USS Bonhomme Richard and USS Tarawa and later deployed detachments to Iraq and the Pacific.
Outcome. The 2008 deployment included the final Marine Harrier combat missions in Operation Iraqi Freedom.
- 2001Operation Enduring Freedom
Afghanistan
Harriers attached to the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit flew early combat missions in Afghanistan.
Outcome. The deployment marked the first combat use of Marine Harriers in Afghanistan.
- 1990Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm
Saudi Arabia · Kuwait · Southern Iraq
The AV-8B-equipped squadron deployed to Saudi Arabia following Iraq's invasion of Kuwait and operated in support of coalition combat operations.
Outcome. Tomcat pilots flew 1,017 combat missions and delivered approximately 840 tons of ordnance.
- 1965Vietnam War
Vietnam · Laos · Cambodia
VMA-311 flew A-4 attack missions from Chu Lai and Da Nang, supporting Operation Starlite, the Battle of Khe Sanh, Operation Lam Son 719, and the Battle of An Loc.
Outcome. The squadron recorded more than 54,000 combat sorties across Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia.
- 1950Korean War
Korean Peninsula
The squadron conducted close air support and attack missions as the first land-based Marine jet squadron employed in combat.
Outcome. It accumulated more than 18,000 combat sorties over more than two and a half years.
- 1945Battle of Okinawa
Okinawa
VMF-311 flew combat air patrols, fighter sweeps, and attack missions from Yontan and Chimu airfields.
Outcome. The squadron was credited with 71 Japanese aircraft destroyed during the campaign.
- 1944Marshall Islands operations
Marshall Islands
The squadron flew strafing and bombing missions against Japanese positions on Wotje, Maloelap, Mille, Jaluit, and Taroa while operating from Roi-Namur and Kwajalein.
Outcome. Operations continued against bypassed Japanese garrisons into 1945.
Brand decisions
2023
Transition from AV-8B operations to the F-35CGeneration changeBackground
The squadron was reactivated after its 2020 decommissioning as part of the Marine Corps' transition from legacy Harrier attack aviation to fifth-generation fighter aircraft.
Action taken
VMFA-311 began F-35C conversion in coordination with VMFA-314.
Aftermath
The squadron declared initial operational capability in July 2024 with six F-35C aircraft.
2020
Decommissioning of VMA-311OtherBackground
The Marine Corps retired the VMA-311 organization during the wider drawdown and modernization of AV-8B Harrier aviation.
Action taken
VMA-311 was decommissioned at MCAS Yuma on 15 October 2020.
Aftermath
The Tomcats were subsequently reactivated in 2023 as a Marine F-35C fighter-attack squadron.
Sources2 sources
Cite this profile: Cite the canonical profile. /brand-wiki/marine-fighter-attack-squadron-311 · Editorial policy · How profiles are compiled