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The Weapons Tactics Instructors course (WTI) is staged from MCAS Yuma, Arizona twice a year. It is organized and monitored by Marine Aviation Weapons Tactics Squadron One (MAWTS-1) with the purpose to hone the skills of USMC aviation units in weapons delivery, tactics, command and control and integration of joint forces.
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The WTI course consists of two and a half weeks of classroom instruction on weapons and tactics, and three and a half weeks for the flight phase. The last week of the flight phase is highlighted by a Final Exercise (FINEX) during which students plan and carry out a fully integrated, combined arms operation. The exercise is the culmination of a curriculum focused on the six major functions of Marine Aviation: offensive air support, anti-air warfare, assault support, aerial reconnaissance, electornic warfare, and control of missiles and aircraft.
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Upon graduation, students will return to their units and instruct their Marines on the warfare skills mastered while attending WTI. MAWTS-1 has been conducing two WTI courses per year since its creation in 1978, making this the 60th course held.
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MAWTS-1 conducts several other courses during WTI, such as an intelligence officers course, aviation ground support and logistics officers course, rotary wing crew chief and KC-130 navigator, loadmaster, flight engineer weapons and tactics instructor course; and enlisted weapons and tactics courses.
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Marine Fighter Training Squadron 401 (VMFT-401) is an adversary squadron known as the "Snipers" flying the F-5E/F/N. The majority of VMFT-401's annual workload is their work-up and participation in the semiannual Weapons and Tactics Instructor (WTI) course conducted by Marine Aviation Weapons and Tactics Squadron One (MAWTS-1) at MCAS Yuma, Arizona. They provide adversary work in Offensive Anti-Air Warfare and Anti Air Warfare exercises during this training evolution.
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Marine Corps Air Station Yuma is a United States Marine Corps air station which is the home to multiple squadrons of AV-8B Harrier IIs of the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, Marine Aviation Weapons and Tactics Squadron 1 (MAWTS-1) and Marine Fighter Training Squadron 401 (VMFT-401), an air combat adversary squadron of the 4th Marine Aircraft Wing of the Marine Corps Reserve.
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