This past weekend, units of the U.S. Marine Corps have reinforced their presence in Japan with the arrival of a new squadron of stealth fighters F-35 Lightning II, which will remain deployed there for a period of six months according to the initial plans. Specifically, these are units from the Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 211, based at the Marine Corps Air Station Yuma (Arizona), while their new deployment location will be the Iwakuni Air Station.
According to what was communicated by official sources, the decision was made in order to provide greater critical air support capacity to naval and expeditionary environments where U.S. Marines operate, also providing coverage for operations carried out by their Japanese allies. However, citing reasonable security concerns, the force has not detailed how many F-35 aircraft have been deployed there nor the composition of the contingent accompanying them. Based on previous deployments, we can state that a squadron of this type usually has around a dozen aircraft, although this has not been confirmed.
It should also be recalled that the Iwakuni Air Station already hosts two F-35 fighter squadrons on a permanent basis, to which an additional rotating squadron is added; the Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 214 which also comes from the Marine Corps Station Yuma. In addition, the institution keeps a support squadron deployed there that includes refueling aircraft, along with logistics personnel to ensure their operability. Their presence in the region is not random, but rather responds to the modernization plan that the USMC seeks to carry out to replace its former AV-8B Harrier and F/A-18 Hornets previously deployed, just as stipulated in the 2022 Aviation Plan.
Quoting some statements from Major Joseph Butterfield, spokesperson for the squadron recently arrived in Japan: “We are working on the modernization of all Marine Corps aviation. This stems from the 2022 Aviation Plan, which supports the Force Design 2030 to improve capabilities and restructure Marine Corps aviation.” Adding that the rotating presence of the fighters “allows the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing to maintain a continuous and forward-deployed posture while integrating additional squadrons into its training and daily operations.”
Finally, it should be mentioned that the Iwakuni Air Station not only houses aircraft operating under the orbit of the Marine Corps, but also those units that the U.S. Navy maintains in Japan. Such is the case, that to this day it is the land base of Carrier Air Wing 5, which is part of the capabilities of the aircraft carrier USS George Washington; the same one that has its port at the Naval Base of Yokosuka.
*Images used for illustrative purposes
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