Aviation combat element

In the United States Marine Corps, the aviation combat element or air combat element (ACE) is the aviation component of the Marine Air-Ground Task Force (MAGTF). The ACE is task organizaed to perform the six functions of Marine Corps aviation in support of MAGTF operations. The ACE is led by an aviation headquarters which employs rotary-wing, tiltrotor, and fixed-wing aircraft in conjunction with command and control, maintenance and engineering units. [1]

Role within the MAGTF

The majority of aircraft usage within the MAGTF is for close air support or transport for the ground combat element (GCE) or logistics combat element (LCE), however, other specialized missions are available. The six main functions include: assault support, anti-air warfare, offensive air support, electronic warfare, control of aircraft and missiles, and aerial reconnaissance.[2]

The aviation combat element (ACE), which contributes the air power to the MAGTF, includes all aircraft (fixed wing, helicopters, tiltrotor, and UAV) and aviation support units. The units are organized into detachments, squadrons, groups, and wings, except for low altitude air defense units, which are organized into platoons, detachments, batteries, and battalions. These units include pilots, flight officers, enlisted aircrewmen, aviation logistics (aircraft maintenance, aviation electronics, aviation ordnance, and aviation supply) and Navy aviation medical and chaplain's corps personnel, as well as ground-based air defense units, and those units necessary for command and control (management and planning for manpower, intelligence, operations and training, and logistics functions), aviation command and control (tactical air command, air defense control, air support control, and air traffic control), communications, and aviation ground support (e.g., airfield services, bulk fuels/aircraft refueling, crash rescue, engineer construction and utilities support, EOD, motor transport, ground equipment supply and maintenance, local security/law enforcement, and the wing band).

ACE Organization and size

The size of the ACE varies in proportion to the size of the MAGTF. A Marine Expeditionary Force has a Marine Aircraft Wing or MAW. A Marine Expeditionary Brigade holds a Marine Aircraft Group or MAG, reinforced with a variety of aircraft squadrons and support personnel. The various Marine Expeditionary Units command a reinforced squadron, with various types of aircraft mixed into a single unit (known as a composite squadron). Generally, MEF postings are permanent, while MEBs and MEUs rotate their ACE, GCE, and LCE twice annually. 1st and 3rd Marine Aircraft Wings are unique in that they are subordinate to III MEF and I MEF, respectively, while all other equivalent units numerical designators match the MEF to which attached.

Hierarchy of Marine Aviation units

1st Marine Aircraft Wing
ACE of III Marine Expeditionary Force
Squadron NameInsigniaNickname
Marine Wing Headquarters Squadron 1 America's Finest

Marine Aircraft Group 12
Squadron NameInsigniaNickname
Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron 12 Marauders
Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 121 Green Knights
Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 242 Bats
Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron 152 Sumos
Marine Wing Support Squadron 171 The Sentinels

Marine Aircraft Group 24
Squadron NameInsigniaNickname
Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron 24 Warriors
Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 362 Ugly Angels
Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 367 Scarface
Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 463 Pegasus
Marine Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Squadron 3 Phantoms

Marine Aircraft Group 36
Squadron NameInsigniaNickname
Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron 36 Bladerunner
Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 262 Flying Tigers
Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 265 Dragons
UDP squadrons from II and III MEFs
Marine Wing Support Squadron 172 Firebirds

Marine Air Control Group 18
Squadron NameInsigniaNickname
Marine Tactical Air Command Squadron 18
Marine Air Control Squadron 4 Vice Squad
Marine Air Support Squadron 2 Pacific Vagabonds
Marine Wing Communications Squadron 18

2nd Marine Aircraft Wing
ACE of II Marine Expeditionary Force
Squadron NameInsigniaNickname
Marine Wing Headquarters Squadron 2 Snake Eyes
The Deuce

Marine Aircraft Group 14
Squadron NameInsigniaNickname
Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron 14 Dragons
Marine Attack Training Squadron 203 Hawks
Marine Attack Squadron 223 Bulldogs
Marine Attack Squadron 231 Ace of Spades
Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron 252 Otis
Marine Attack Squadron 542 Tigers
Marine Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Squadron 2 Night Owls
Marine Wing Support Squadron 271 Workhorse of the Wing

Marine Aircraft Group 26
Squadron NameInsigniaNickname
Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron 26 Patriots
Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 162 Golden Eagles
Marine Medium Tiltrotor Training Squadron 204 Raptors
Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 261 Raging Bulls
Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 263 Thunder Chickens
Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 266 Fighting Griffins
Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 365 Blue Knights
Marine Wing Support Squadron 272 Untouchables

Marine Aircraft Group 29
Squadron NameInsigniaNickname
Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron 29 Wolverines
Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 167 Warriors
Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 269 Gunrunners
Marine Helicopter Training Squadron 302 Phoenix
Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 366 Hammerheads
Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 461 Ironhorse
Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 464 Condors
Marine Wing Support Squadron 274 Ironmen

Marine Aircraft Group 31
Squadron NameInsigniaNickname
Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron 31 Stingers
Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 115 Silver Eagles
Marine All Weather Fighter Attack Squadron 224 Bengals
Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 251 Thunderbolts
Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 312 Checkerboards
Marine Fighter Attack Training Squadron 501 Warlords
Marine Fighter Attack Training Squadron 502 Flying Nightmares
Marine All Weather Fighter Attack Squadron 533 Hawks
Marine Wing Support Squadron 273 Sweathogs

Marine Air Control Group 28
Squadron NameInsigniaNickname
Marine Tactical Air Command Squadron 28 Olympians
Marine Air Control Squadron 2 Eyes of the MAGTF
Marine Air Support Squadron 1 Atlantic Nomads
Marine Wing Communications Squadron 28 Spartans
2nd Low Altitude Air Defense Battalion Death from Below

3rd Marine Aircraft Wing
ACE of I Marine Expeditionary Force
Squadron NameInsigniaNickname
Marine Wing Headquarters Squadron 3

Marine Aircraft Group 11
Squadron NameInsigniaNickname
Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron 11 Devilfish
Marine Fighter Attack Training Squadron 101 Sharpshooters
Marine All Weather Fighter Attack Squadron 225 Vikings
Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 232 Red Devils
Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 314 Black Knights
Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 323 Death Rattlers
Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron 352 Raiders

Marine Aircraft Group 13
Squadron NameInsigniaNickname
Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron 13 Black Widows
Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 122 Werewolves
Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 211 Wake Island Avengers
Marine Attack Squadron 214 Black Sheep
Marine Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Squadron 1 Watchdogs

Marine Aircraft Group 16
Squadron NameInsigniaNickname
Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron 16 Forerunners
Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 161 Greyhawks
Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 163 Ridge Runners
Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 165 White Knights
Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 166 Sea Elk
Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 361 Flying Tigers
Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 363 Red Lions
Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 462 Heavy Haulers
Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 465 Warhorse
Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 466 Wolfpack

Marine Aircraft Group 39
Squadron NameInsigniaNickname
Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron 39 Hellhounds
Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 164 Knightriders
Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 169 Vipers
Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 267 Stingers
Marine Light Attack Training Squadron 303 Atlas
Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 364 Purple Foxes
Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 369 Gunfighters
Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 469 Vengeance

Marine Air Control Group 38
Squadron NameInsigniaNickname
Marine Tactical Air Command Squadron 38
Marine Air Control Squadron 1 Falconers
Marine Air Support Squadron 3 Blacklist
Marine Wing Communications Squadron 38 Red Lightning
3rd Low Altitude Air Defense Battalion Stingers

Marine Wing Support Group 37
Squadron NameInsigniaNickname
Marine Wing Support Squadron 371 Sand Sharks
Marine Wing Support Squadron 372 Diamondbacks
Marine Wing Support Squadron 373 Ace Support
Marine Wing Support Squadron 374 Rhinos

4th Marine Aircraft Wing
ACE of Marine Forces Reserve
Squadron NameInsigniaNickname
4th Marine Aircraft Wing Training Support Group

Marine Aircraft Group 41
Squadron NameInsigniaNickname
Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron 41 Desperados
Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 112 Cowboys
Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron 234 Rangers
Marine Fighter Training Squadron 401 Snipers
Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 764 Moonlight
Marine Wing Support Squadron 471
Marine Wing Support Squadron 473

Marine Aircraft Group 49
Squadron NameInsigniaNickname
Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron 49 Magicians
Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron 452 Yankees
Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 772 Hustler
Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 773 Red Dogs
Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 774 Wild Goose
Marine Wing Support Squadron 472 Dragons

Marine Air Control Group 48
Squadron NameInsigniaNickname
Marine Tactical Air Command Squadron 48
Marine Air Control Squadron 24 Earthquake
Marine Air Support Squadron 6 Lighthouse
Marine Wing Communications Squadron 48 Roar

See also

References
  1. "MAGTF Composition". www.candp.marines.mil. United States Marine Corps. Retrieved October 12, 2020.
  2. "MAWTS-1 hones warfighting edge". Naval Aviation News. Archived from the original on 2007-08-21. Retrieved 2007-04-01.
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