On March 8th, the third F-35B “Lightning II” fighter squadron of the United States Marine Corps arrived in Japan, marking the latest move by the Marine Corps in the Indo-Pacific region. It is also the first time that the Marine Corps stationed in Japan has deployed F-35 aircraft from the U.S. mainland.
Japan plays a crucial role in the U.S. Indo-Pacific strategy as part of the first island chain concept. The U.S. aims to limit Chinese military activities in the Western Pacific through allies and friendly territories.
The U.S. military has several bases in Japan to deploy troops such as aircraft carriers and fighter jets to address potential emergencies in the Taiwan Strait and the Korean Peninsula.
The Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 214 (VMFA-214) is based at the Marine Corps Air Station Yuma in Arizona. The squadron, known as the “Black Sheep,” transitioned to the F-35B platform in March 2022 and is the first F-35 squadron to participate in the Marine Corps’ Unit Deployment Program (UDP) in the Indo-Pacific.
“We have three key focuses in this deployment,” said Lt. Col. Robert F. Guyette, the commander of VMFA-214, in a press release. “Seamlessly integrating the Marine Corps, joint forces, and regional allies to enhance joint operational readiness; enhancing our ability to operate in austere locations; and maximizing survivability and power projection capabilities in a competitive environment, embodying the Marine Corps’ key concept of expeditionary advanced basing operations.”
The F-35B fighter squadron has been deployed to the Iwakuni Air Station in Japan and will temporarily support the Marine Aircraft Group 12 (MAG-12).
Despite MAG-12 currently having two fully operational F-35B squadrons, Colonel Kyle B. Shoop, the commander of MAG-12, noted that adding a stateside-based F-35 squadron to the region is unique for joint force and allied operations.
“The additional F-35B squadron contributes to Marine aviation’s operations in the Indo-Pacific region, enabling distributed operations,” Shoop said. “These operations occur in undeveloped locations. The F-35B’s ability to operate in austere environments, integrate into joint networks, and provide enhanced battlefield awareness makes it a force multiplier, ensuring any unit equipped with this platform remains at the forefront of modern warfare.”
The arrival of the “Black Sheep Squadron” also marks a generational shift in the unit deployment plan. through this UDP, providing combat experience in the Indo-Pacific for units based on the U.S. mainland. Traditionally, fixed-wing squadrons supporting UDP used F/A-18 “Hornet” fighter jets and AV-8B “Harrier” aircraft. VMFA-214’s deployment signifies a milestone in the Navy’s aviation plan for transitioning from fourth-generation to fifth-generation aircraft in 2025.
The Marine Corps chose not to purchase the F/A-18E/F “Super Hornet” program and continued to use traditional “Hornets.” The F/A-18C/D “Hornet” was phased out of the U.S. Navy in 2019. The Marine Corps will focus its budgets and personnel on the F-35, transitioning directly from the “Hornet” and AV-8B “Harrier” II to a fully fifth-generation fighter fleet.
Regarding the transition to fifth-generation capabilities, Major General Marcus B. Annibale, the commanding officer of the 1st Marine Air Wing, emphasized that this move aims to proactively meet operational needs in the Indo-Pacific.
“Looking from a broader perspective, as the Marine Corps advances its aviation plan, more F-35 squadrons will be established, more potent munitions will be available, platform support systems will be strengthened, and the F-35’s technological suite will continue to evolve,” Annibale said. “With more F-35 squadrons deployed to remote and contested environments in the Indo-Pacific, the readiness of Marine aviation will be enhanced, making us as a joint force in the region more lethal to adversaries.”
Iwakuni Naval Air Station in Japan serves as a key hub for Pacific airpower. It houses not only Marine Corps fighter squadrons but also serves as the nominal home base for the 5th Carrier Air Wing that comprises F/A-18E/F “Super Hornets,” EA-18G “Growlers,” F-35C aircraft, E-2D “Hawkeyes,” CMV-22B “Ospreys,” and MH-60 “Seahawks.” When these aircraft are not deployed on U.S. aircraft carriers based in Yokosuka, they are stationed at Iwakuni, which also houses administrative facilities for each squadron.
The Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) is also a significant user of this airbase, which serves as the headquarters of the 31st Fleet Air Wing. Iwakuni is home to four JMSDF aviation squadrons that operate ShinMaywa US-2 amphibious aircraft, Lockheed P-3 and EP-3 aircraft, Learjet U-36A reconnaissance planes, and Leonardo MCH-101 mine-sweeping helicopters.
In a report by the U.S. Air Force and Space Force Magazine, the Pentagon announced on July 3, 2024 that it would replace 36 F-16 fighters at Misawa Air Base in Japan with 48 state-of-the-art F-35A stealth fighters, and older F-15C/D aircraft at Kadena Air Base in Okinawa with advanced F-15EX fighters. The number of F-35B fighters at the Marine Corps base in Iwakuni was also adjusted. This represents the largest upgrade of U.S. airpower in the Western Pacific region in recent years, aimed at potential Sino-American conflicts.
Chinese military aircraft and warships frequently conduct risky exercises around Taiwan, while the Chinese navy often confronts supply ships in the South China Sea and the Philippines. U.S. bases in Japan provide significant operational flexibility for U.S. forces to address various contingencies, whether in the Korean Peninsula, Taiwan Strait, South China Sea, or anywhere else in Asia.
Over the past few years, the U.S. Marine Corps has undergone a comprehensive restructuring of the entire force structure to support the concept of distributed expeditionary operations. This concept focuses primarily on cross-island operations in the event of large-scale combat in the Pacific, emphasizing the need for small units to conduct dispersed rapid guerilla operations within the extended-range Chinese firepower envelope. The F-35B fighter, with its short takeoff and vertical landing capabilities, is a crucial component of the U.S. military’s strategy.
In July 2024, when discussing the strengthening of U.S. airpower in the Pacific, Ryo Hinata-Yamaguchi, a senior researcher at the Indo-Pacific Security Initiative of the Atlantic Council based at the University of Tokyo, told Voice of America, “These upgrades will enhance the quality and quantity of U.S. forces in Japan, further bolstering the U.S.-Japan alliance against China, North Korea, and Russia.”
“The benefits extend not only to aerial combat but also to safeguarding naval and amphibious capabilities for the U.S. and Japan. These platforms involve not only technological advantages in combat but also more advanced electronic warfare capabilities aimed at penetrating the weaknesses of China, North Korea, and Russia,” he said.