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

The U.S. Marine Corps has deployed VMFA-533 with F-35B Lightning II stealth fighters from South Carolina to MCAS Iwakuni, Japan, as competition with China drives greater demand for forward fifth-generation airpower in the western Pacific. According to U.S. Department of War information released on September 5, 2026, the deployment strengthens the Marines’ ability to conduct stealth strike, air-defense, and expeditionary aviation missions across the Indo-Pacific. Read full Defense Aerospace News at this link …

A U.S. Marine Corps F-35B Lightning II stealth fighter assigned to U.S. Marine Fighter Attack Squadron VMFA-533, Marine Aircraft Group 12, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing, taxis at U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni in Yamaguchi, Japan, on September 5, 2026. (Picture source: U.S. Department of War/Defense)

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