The U.S. Marine Corps is quietly laying the groundwork for what could become one of the most transformative shifts in its aviation history: a single, flexible “capability” designed to fill the operational gaps left by the retirement of the AV-8B Harrier jump jets, AH-1Z attack helicopters, UH-1Y utility helicopters, and legacy F/A-18C/D Hornet fighters.
Known as Future Attack Strike, or FASt, the emerging concept is not simply a new aircraft program. Instead, it represents a broader rethink of how Marine aviation will deliver kinetic and non-kinetic effects, integrate with uncrewed systems, and enable long-range “kill webs” across contested battlespaces in the decades ahead.
The first public reference to FASt appeared in the Marine Corps’ 2026 Aviation Plan, released earlier this month. The document describes a capability aimed at delivering long-range fires, close air support (CAS), and advanced electronic warfare while serving as a key node in joint all-domain operations.
According to the plan, FASt “is being developed to provide long range fires and Close Air Support (CAS) to the ground force and to be a Joint Force kill web enabler.” It will evolve through Weapons Integration Risk Reduction trade studies and experimentation, with a focus on innovation in survivability, digital interoperability, long-range precision weapons, and electronic warfare.
A Marine Corps spokesperson confirmed that FASt is intended to address the attack and strike mission gaps created by the “sundowning” of the F/A-18, AV-8B, AH-1Z, and UH-1Y fleets. Initial operating capability is targeted for the mid-2040s.
The initiative is being refined by the Expeditionary and Maritime Aviation–Advanced Development Team (XMA-ADT), operating under the U.S. Navy’s Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR).
For years, the Marine Corps’ primary replacement plan for the AV-8B and F/A-18C/D fleets has centered on acquiring a mix of F-35B Lightning II short takeoff/vertical landing fighters and F-35C Lightning II carrier-based variants.
While that plan remains in place, FASt hints at something additional: a complementary, potentially lower-tier platform that could operate in more austere environments, cost less to maintain, and take on missions not requiring the full capability of a fifth-generation stealth fighter.
The Marines’ aviation requirements extend far beyond high-end peer combat. Day-to-day crisis response, distributed expeditionary deployments, and rapid repositioning in contested regions demand aircraft that are survivable, flexible, and runway-independent.
That reality is central to FASt.
Although the Marine Corps has not explicitly stated that FASt must feature short or vertical takeoff and landing capability, replacing the AV-8B and potentially augmenting helicopter roles would strongly suggest a design capable of operating from short or improvised strips.
The Corps is closely monitoring developments under U.S. Special Operations Command’s High-Speed Vertical Takeoff and Landing (HSVTOL) program, which is paired with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency’s Speed and Runway Independent Technologies (SPRINT) initiative.
SPRINT aims to demonstrate a vertical takeoff aircraft capable of cruising between 400 and 450 knots—far faster than traditional helicopters. In 2024, DARPA selected Bell to move forward in the next phase of the program, edging out Aurora Flight Sciences.
Bell’s SPRINT concept features wingtip proprotors whose blades fold away after transitioning to forward flight. Though originally geared toward cargo and personnel transport, Bell has emphasized that the design is scalable to combat and strike roles.
FASt could potentially draw on such technologies—or evolve into a derivative design tailored to Marine needs.
Bell’s existing tiltrotor portfolio could also influence FASt’s development. The V-280 Valor, which underpins the U.S. Army’s new MV-75 Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft, has previously been floated as a possible basis for a Marine variant.
The company’s uncrewed V-247 Vigilant tiltrotor, originally pitched to the Marine Corps, also aligns with FASt’s emphasis on manned-unmanned teaming (MUM-T).
Complicating the picture further is the Marine Corps’ Next Generation Assault Support (NGAS) program, which is intended to eventually replace the MV-22 Osprey. FASt and NGAS could become intertwined, or at least share technological foundations.
The Corps’ broader force design envisions small, distributed Marine units deployed across vast areas, particularly in the Indo-Pacific. In a high-end conflict with China, Marine units could conduct expeditionary advanced base operations across island chains, constantly shifting positions to complicate enemy targeting.
Such a concept demands speed, range, and runway independence.
Traditional helicopters like the AH-1Z Viper and UH-1Y Venom have proven valuable in close air support and armed escort roles, but their relatively limited speed and range raise survivability concerns in contested environments dominated by long-range precision fires.
The Marine Corps has already reduced its AH-1Z and UH-1Y fleet sizes, while simultaneously investing in upgrades to preserve their relevance. For example, the AH-1Z is being integrated with L3Harris’ Red Wolf miniature cruise missile to provide standoff strike capability.
Meanwhile, the UH-1Y has been used as an electronic warfare platform equipped with the Intrepid Tiger II pod.
These efforts not only sustain current capabilities but also inform FASt’s future requirements.
Marine leaders increasingly emphasize interoperability across joint forces.
Col. Nathan Marvel, former commander of Marine Aircraft Group 39 at Marine Corps Air Station Camp Pendleton, described a future where aviation platforms function as nodes within dynamic “kill webs,” rather than linear kill chains.
In such an environment, aircraft might relay targeting data, maintain sensor custody of threats, or execute strikes based on data provided by other platforms.
FASt is explicitly designed to operate within this ecosystem. Digital interoperability and electronic warfare capabilities are core requirements. Rather than being solely a shooter, FASt may act as a sensor, communicator, and data conduit.
A defining element of FASt is its anticipated integration with uncrewed systems.
The Marine Corps is already investing in Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) programs. Early efforts include variants of Kratos’ XQ-58 Valkyrie for runway-based and potentially runway-independent operations.
Additionally, the Corps plans to use General Atomics’ YFQ-42A—one of the first platforms under the U.S. Air Force’s CCA program—as a surrogate to explore future tactical aviation roles.
FASt could operate alongside these drones, directing them as sensor extensions or weapons carriers, or leveraging them to penetrate heavily defended airspace.
It is also possible that FASt itself evolves into a family of systems, including uncrewed variants.
Companies such as Shield AI are developing runway-independent autonomous jet fighters like the X-BAT, concepts that could appeal to Marine planners seeking distributed lethality without reliance on fixed infrastructure.
The Marine Corps’ continued investment in the F-35 ensures a high-end stealth capability for penetrating contested airspace. However, FASt could represent a renewed embrace of a high-low mix—pairing expensive fifth-generation fighters with more numerous, affordable, and adaptable platforms.
F-35s are powerful but complex, requiring substantial logistical support. In austere island outposts or rapidly shifting expeditionary bases, maintaining such aircraft at high sortie rates can be challenging.
FASt may fill roles that do not require full stealth penetration, freeing F-35s for the most demanding missions.
Such a mix could provide flexibility across the spectrum of conflict—from gray-zone operations to high-end war.
Despite the ambition of FASt, it is not an immediate solution.
Marine AV-8B Harriers are scheduled to fly their final sorties in mid-2026. Legacy F/A-18C/D Hornets are expected to retire around the end of the decade. The AH-1Z and UH-1Y fleets are projected to serve into the 2040s.
FASt’s initial operating capability is not anticipated until the mid-2040s, meaning the Corps will rely heavily on F-35 variants and upgraded helicopters in the interim.
This timeline underscores that FASt is less about quick replacement and more about long-term transformation.
Ultimately, FASt signals a shift away from platform-centric thinking toward capability-driven design.
Rather than replacing each retiring aircraft with a direct successor, the Marine Corps is exploring how a unified capability—possibly embodied in one adaptable platform or a family of systems—can deliver kinetic strikes, electronic warfare, digital connectivity, and drone integration across domains.
In doing so, the Corps appears intent on aligning aviation with its broader transformation toward distributed, expeditionary operations tailored to contested environments in the Indo-Pacific.
By the 2040s, Marine tactical aviation could look radically different: fewer traditional helicopters, more runway-independent aircraft, integrated drone swarms, and networked kill webs linking sensors and shooters across air, land, sea, cyber, and space.
FASt remains in its conceptual infancy, but its ambition is unmistakable. It reflects a Marine Corps preparing not merely to replace aging aircraft, but to redefine how it fights from the air in an era of great-power competition.
