VMFT-401

Marine Fighter Training Squadron 401
VMFT-401 insignia
Active	March 18, 1986 - present
Country	United States
Branch	USMC
Type	Marine Adversary
Role	Air interdiction
Part of	Marine Aircraft Group 46 4th Marine Aircraft Wing
Garrison/HQ	Marine Corps Air Station Yuma
Nickname(s)	"Snipers"
Tail Code	LS
Commanders
Current commander	LtCol Jayson Tiger
Aircraft flown
Fighter	F-21A Kfir F-5N Tiger II

Marine Fighter Training Squadron 401 (VMFT-401) is a United States Marine Corps Reserve fighter squadron flying the F-5N Tiger II. Known as the "Snipers", the squadron is the only adversary squadron in the Marine Corps, also is the first and only reserve squadron in the Marine Corps tasked to act as the opposing force in simulated air combat. They are based at Marine Corps Air Station Yuma and fall under the command of the 4th Marine Aircraft Wing and Marine Aircraft Group 41. VMFT-401 is a non-deployable unit.

Provide instruction to active and reserve Fleet Marine Forces and Fleet squadrons through dissimilar air combat training (DACT).

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. They also help train new Marine F/A-18 Hornet pilots that are assigned to VMFAT-101 at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar.

Marine Fighter Training Squadron 401 (VMFT-401) was activated on March 18, 1986 at Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, Arizona. In June 1987 the squadron received a number of Israeli F-21A Kfirs and during that year logged more than 4,000 hours of flight time during 16 major exercises. In 1989, they transitioned to the F-5E Tiger II which they still use.