Green Mountain Boys patch gives away real task
Having arrived at Spangdahlem Air Base (Germany) at the beginning of May 2022, eight Vermont Air National Guard Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning IIs have been flying to the east since.
Because of the tensions rose after Russia invaded Ukraine, the USAF swiftly brought F-35A Lightning II Fifth Generation fighter aircraft to Germany. Initially, the aircraft came from the 388th Fighter Wing based at Hill AFB (UT).
Later on, the Hill Lightnings were partially replaced by the Vermont Air National Guard's 134th Fighter Squadron/158th Fighter Wing. Normally based at Burlington Air National Guard Base, part of Burlington International Airport (VT), the 134th FS Green Mountain Boys Lightning II aircraft provide unprecedented sensor, Command, Control and Communication (C3) capabilities in highly contested environments.
Examining one of the patches that pilots of the 134th FS wear, the "Wild Weasel" is one of the most obvious tasks they carry out. With the above mentioned capabilities, the Wild Weasel task is all about Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses (SEAD). F-35A SEAD operations are military actions to suppress, destruct and/or mislead enemy Surface-Based Air Defenses (SBADs). The SBADs include not only Surface-to-Air Missiles (SAMs) and Anti-Aircraft Artillery (AAA), but also interrelated systems such as early-warning radar and C3 functions.
Suppression can be accomplished both by physically destroying the systems or by disrupting and deceiving them through modern electronic warfare or using Miniature Air-Launched Decoys (MALDs). In modern warfare, SEAD missions can constitute as much as 30% of all sorties launched in the first phase of combat operations. Despite generally being associated with aircraft, SEAD missions may be performed using any means, including through actions by ground forces.
The following VT coded 134th FS/158th FW F-35As are now deployed to Spangdahlem:
Photo by Hans van Herk / credit patch: https://www.aviatorgear.com