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U.S. Marines Deploy F-35B Stealth Fighters to Japan as China Competition Reshapes Pacific Airpower

U.S. Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 533 has deployed F-35B Lightning II aircraft from MCAS Beaufort, South Carolina, to MCAS Iwakuni in Japan. The rotational deployment replaces VMFA-232, which operated F/A-18C/D Hornets, and returns a fifth-generation short-take-off-and-vertical-landing squadron to Marine Aircraft Group 12. VMFA-533 began receiving F-35Bs in 2024 after transitioning from the Hornet, enabling an East Coast unit to sustain an Indo-Pacific rotation. The deployment supports stealth strike, air defence, sensing and expeditionary operations from established bases, austere sites or amphibious ships; aircraft numbers were not disclosed.

Army RecognitionSep 6

Indo-PacificAir

U.S. Marine Corps deploys VMFA-533 F-35B squadron to Japan to reinforce forward aviation readiness across Indo-Pacific region

The U.S. Marine Corps deployed Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 533 from Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, South Carolina, to MCAS Iwakuni, Japan, on September 5 under the Unit Deployment Program. The F-35B-equipped Hawks will join Marine Aircraft Group 12 in the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing and replace VMFA-232 in the rotational role, sustaining a continuous forward fifth-generation aviation presence. The recurring deployment gives U.S.-based units operational experience in the Indo-Pacific while supporting regional readiness, stability, and the U.S.-Japan security treaty; it is a rotation rather than a permanent rebasing decision.

Defence Industry EuropeSep 5

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F-35B

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