The United States Marine Corps (USMC) has deployed a new detachment of F-35B stealth fighters to Japan to provide temporary support to the Marine Aircraft Group 12 (MAG-12) and its flight operations in the Indo-Pacific region. The aircraft, belonging to Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 214, departed last week from their home base at Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, Arizona, arriving on March 8 at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni in Japan.
This deployment, the first of an F-35B squadron to participate in a Marine Corps aviation rotation in the Indo-Pacific, aims to achieve three objectives: integrating with USMC forces stationed in Japan, joint forces, and regional allies; refining the ability to operate from austere locations; and aligning with Marine Corps operational concepts, such as Expeditionary Advanced Base Operations (EABO).
The presence of these stealth fighters marks a milestone in the deployment of fifth-generation aircraft, as the Unit Deployment Program (UDP) allows units based in the continental United States to gain operational experience in the Indo-Pacific. Traditionally, such operations have been conducted by squadrons flying the F/A-18 Super Hornet and AV-8B Harrier, signaling the transition from fourth- to fifth-generation aircraft. Notably, VMFA-214 transitioned to the F-35B in 2022 and is the first squadron to integrate these advanced aircraft into the rotational deployment program.
The arrival of the USMC’s F-35Bs is part of a broader strategy to strengthen deterrence in the Indo-Pacific and build a more modern and lethal air force amid increasing regional challenges. “In the bigger picture, as the Marine Corps advances its aviation plan, more F-35 squadrons will enter service, enhanced-capability munitions will become available, support systems for the platform will be strengthened, and the F-35’s technology package will continue to evolve,” stated Major General Marcus B. Annibale, commanding general of the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing. “As more F-35 squadrons deploy to remote and contested environments in the Indo-Pacific, Marine aviation readiness will grow, and our combined force capabilities in the region will become even more lethal,” he added.
The modernization of combat aviation assets in the region has also been accompanied by other measures taken by the U.S. military in Japan. Specifically, the U.S. Air Force is in the process of retiring F-15C Eagles from Kadena Air Base, Japan, which have been in operation since 1979, with plans to replace them in the future with 36 new F-15EXs. To maintain regional presence in the meantime, F-22 Raptor stealth fighters and F-16C Fighting Falcons have been temporarily deployed. Additionally, F-35As have also been sent to Kadena Air Base, the closest U.S. base to Taiwan.
These fifth-generation fighters have been deployed on multiple occasions. In November 2024, an undisclosed number of aircraft from Hill Air Force Base, Utah, arrived to bolster regional operational security. Months later, another group of F-35s from the 134th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron, part of the Vermont Air National Guard, arrived at Kadena Air Base to integrate with the 525th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron (EFS) F-22 Raptors and the 77th EFS F-16C Fighting Falcons.
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