Air Recon
This is condcucted by any airborne platform and consists of an observer or pilot searching a route, point, or area. This is frequently related to offensive action such as artillery, Naval Surface Fires, or Close Air Support.
Visual Reconnaissance
This is uses electromagnetic and directed energy, or antiradiation weapons to attack personnel, facilities, or equipment to degrade, neutralize, or destroy enemt combat capability.
Electronic Attack
Decentralized control of aircraft and missiles is executed through this.
Marine Air Command and Control System (MACCS)
This element of the MAG provides aviation-logistical support to the MAG's aircraft squadrons and MACGs in garrison or as a task-organized ACE.
Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron (MALS)
This unit provides qeuipment, maintenance, and operations for the Tactical Air Command Center (TACC) of the Air Combat Element (ACE).
Marine Tactical Air Command Squadron (MTACS)
This operation includes photography from standard cameras, photograph and radar imagery from advanced tactical aerial reconnaissance systems (ATARS), and infrared imagery. It is used to detect and pinpoint the location of enemy installations, facilities, and concentrations of forces.
Multisensor Imagery Reconnaissance
This involves actions taken to protect personnel, facilities, and equipment from any effects of friendly or enemy employment of electronic warfare.
Electronic Protection
This element provides centralized control of aircraft and missiles.
Air Combat Element (ACE)
This squadron provides tactical aerial refueling service to Marine aviation units and serves as an aircraft platform for the DASC(A).
Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron (VMGR)
This unit provides air surveillance and control of aircraft, and surface-to-air weapons for anti-air warfare (AAW).
Marines Air Control Squadron (MACS)
This is used to detect, locate, identify, and evaluate enemy electromagnetic radiation. It is performed with passive interception equipment that recovers signals and determines signal direction, source, and characteristics.
Electronic Reconnaissance
This involves the actions needed to search for, intercept, identify, and locate sources of radiated electromagnetic energy for the purpose of immediate threat recognition.
Electronic Warfare Support
This group is responsible for prociding, staffing, operating, and maintaining the principle Marine Air Commadn and Control System (MACCS).
Marine Air Control Group (MACG)
This unit is fixed-wing and it's mission is to intercept and destroy (under all-weather conditions) enemy aircraft and attacks and destroys surface targets.
Marine Fighter/Attack Squadron (VMFA)
This unit provides expeditionary communications for the ACE of a MEF. It consists of a headquarters element and at least two MWCS detachments. It provides communications support for the ACE headquarters and Marine TACC. Each of this unit's detachment may be independently deployed to provide external communications for up to two airfields and four FOBs.
Marine Wing Communications Squadron (MWCS)
Along with most fixed-wing aircraft, this platform is the only rotary-wing authroized for Air Reconnaissance execution.
HMLA (Attack)
This type of squadron supports EW primarily.
VMAQ
This is the authority to regulate the employment of air resources (including both aircraft and surface-to-air weapons) to maintain a balance between their availability and the priorities assigned for their use.
Air Direction
This unit's mission is to provide safe, professional adversary support to enhance the combat readiness of Marine aviation and ground unitd. They also support non-USMC unitd on a not-to-interfere basis.
Marine Fighter Trainer Squadron (VMFT)
Marine Air Support Squadron (MASS)
This is the kill chain/dynamic targeting model.
Find, fix, track, target, engage, assess (F2T2EA)
This is when non-kinetic electromagnetic energy and signal jamming used to confuse, blind, or divert incoming threats like missiles and drones instead of destroying them with physical weapons
Soft Kill
Unlike Air Direction, this is the authority to direct the in-flight maneuver of aircraft or to direct an aircraft or surface-to-air weapons unit to engage a tagert. This includes Airspace Management and Control.
Air Control
This unit's mission is to support assault function of Marine aviation by providing assault transport of heavy weapons, equipment, and supplies during amphibious operations and subsequent operations.
Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron (HMH)
This unit provides close-in, low-altitude, surface-to-air fires in defense of the MAGTF.
Low Altitude Air Defense (LAAD) Battalion