On 15 July 2024 the US Navy (USN) announced that its fighters and support aircraft at MCAS Iwakuni, Japan are to be replaced with fifth generation stealth fighters and tiltrotors.

 

The first unit that is part of this change of hardware is VFA-115 Eagles ('NF-3xx'). But they are not only they trading in their Boeing F/A-18E Super Hornets for Lockheed Martin F-35C Lightning IIs. After a period of almost seven years at Iwakuni and before that NAF Atsugi, they are also moving their operations to a different home.

 

On 16 May 2024 the unit boarded USS Ronald Reagan to set sail for CONUS and their new home base NAS Lemoore, CA. Later this year they will transition to the F-35C.

 

Taking their place at MCAS Iwakuni is strike fighter squadron VFA-147 Argonauts ('AG-3xx') currently based at NAS Lemoore. They transitioned to the F-35C at the end of 2018 and currently operate fifteen aircraft. The unit will arrive in Japan onboard USS George Washington, of which Scramble reported earlier this year.

 

At this moment it is unknown when they will arrive in Japan.