US stealth fighters sent to allied base to counter China threat
The United States has recently dispatched an additional squadron of stealth fighter aircraft to Japan, its treaty ally in Northeast Asia, aiming to counter the military threat posed by China.
The 1st Marine Aircraft Wing, an aviation unit of the U.S. Marine Corps headquartered in Japan, confirmed to Newsweek that it now has a total of four F-35 squadrons. The Chinese Defense Ministry did not immediately respond to a Newsweek written request for comment.
Japan is part of the First Island Chain under America's containment strategy, which seeks to restrict China's military access to the wider Pacific Ocean through U.S.-aligned territories. The U.S. military maintains bases in Japan to respond to potential emergencies in the region.
In early March, the U.S. Marine Corps sent an unknown number of F-35B stealth fighter jets to Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni in Japan. The aircraft, assigned to the Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 214, were originally based at Marine Corps Air Station Yuma in Arizona.
The 1st Marine Aircraft Wing stated that the Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 211, a second F-35B squadron based at Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, was deployed to Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni on Saturday to support flight operations across the Indo-Pacific region.
The aircraft were deployed under the Unit Deployment Program, which aims to provide continental U.S.-based units with experience operating in the Indo-Pacific region through 'continuous and overlapping deployments,' according to the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing.
Meanwhile, the Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 214 remains at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing said in response to an inquiry from Newsweek. The Arizona-based F-35B unit was also deployed to Japan under the Unit Deployment Program.
Prior to the arrival of the two F-35B squadrons from Arizona, Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni was already the permanent home to the Marine Fighter Attack Squadrons 242 and 121, which operate the same type of jets and provide combat-ready forces for operations in the Western Pacific.
The F-35B aircraft is capable of short takeoffs and vertical landings from ships without full-length runways and austere locations. Its two sister variants-the F-35A and F-35C-are designed for operations from conventional runways and aircraft carriers, respectively.
In addition to the U.S. Marine Corps' F-35B aircraft, Japan currently hosts the F-35A jets operated by the U.S. Air Force at Kadena Air Base on the southwestern island of Okinawa, as well as the F-35C jets of the U.S. Navy based at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni.
The U.S. Marine Corps 1st Marine Aircraft Wing said: '[Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 211] will augment 1st Marine Aircraft Wing in providing critical aviation support from naval and expeditionary environments. This allows the Marine Corps to ensure operational readiness as obligated in support of the U.S.-Japan Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security.'
U.S. Marine Corps Major General Marcus B. Annibale, commanding general of 1st Marine Aircraft Wing, said: 'As more F-35 squadrons deploy to the remote and contested environments of the Indo-Pacific, Marine Aviation's readiness will grow, and our capabilities as a combined force in this region will become even more lethal.'
It remains unclear how long the Arizona-based F-35B units will remain deployed, and President Donald Trump has questioned why the security treaty signed with Japan, asking why is was not reciprocal.
2025 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Wall Street Journal
22 minutes ago
- Wall Street Journal
Harvard's China Ties Become New Front in Battle With Trump
In his war with Harvard, President Trump has sought to withhold billions of dollars in federal funding from the school and strip its tax exemptions, measures the White House initially tied to perceived antisemitism at the school amid Israel's war in Gaza. In recent weeks, long-simmering Republican anger over Harvard's links to China has increasingly gained traction. In escalating calls to punish the school, a training event two years ago in the Chinese city of Kunming has emerged as Exhibit A.
New York Post
2 hours ago
- New York Post
Don't underestimate Donald Trump — he and his goals will survive without Elon Musk
Among other things last week, President Trump played host to Germany's chancellor in the Oval Office, issued a travel ban against 12 countries whose citizens routinely violate their visas, had a 'very positive' conversation about tariffs with Chinese leader Xi Jinping and twisted arms to push his 'one big beautiful bill' across the congressional finish line. Meanwhile, a stream of good economic news sent stock markets higher, with a jobs report beating expectations while inflation fell and wages rose. Oh, and Trump also had a brutal falling out with Elon Musk. Advertisement 3 Elon Musk attends news conference with President Donald Trump in the Oval Office of the White House, Friday, May 30, 2025, in Washington. AP No need to guess which of the above dominated the news. Bad news travels fast and predictions of calamity win eyeballs, but I've learned a few things knowing and covering Trump for a decade. Rule No. 1 is always to remember to take a deep breath when it feels as if the end of his days is near. Advertisement Whatever the sensational event of the moment, the smart play has been to realize that this too shall pass — and to feel sorry for cats because they only have nine lives. Rule No. 2 is to be prepared for the next big end of days event, which is coming soon, and to expect another one after that. The 47th president is a human machine full of pride and plans, but only rookies still attempt to define him by a single event. If a stream of nasty Democrat prosecutions and threats of jail didn't derail him, the end of a partnership with the world's richest man won't either. Advertisement While Trump often appears to be courting disaster, reports of his imminent political demise still remain premature. That's not to say he is impervious, only that he is the closest thing to it on the American scene today. The dogs bark, but the caravan moves on. Advertisement So long, Elon, it was nice knowing ya. Need for speed Another thing to remember about Trump is that he's in a hurry to get big things done and is determined not to get sidetracked by anything. He's well aware of how Dems used the Russia, Russia, Russia hoax to win the House in the middle of the first term and showed no compunction about impeaching him over a nothing-burger phone call. He's not going to squander his second chance with a GOP-controlled Congress to engage in wild goose chases or pout over setbacks, even when they involve an important ally such as Musk. The clock in his head is always ticking. 3 The Musk-Trump feud sparked the day after the DOGE head left the White House. NY Post Despite his occasional talk of a possible third term, he knows that's not going to happen. Besides the constitutional prohibition, the reality is that he turns 79 next Saturday, and the last thing Trump wants to do is stay too long at the party and repeat Joe Biden's decrepit decline in office. Thus, Trump's need for speed is what makes the Musk divorce important. It ends, or at least interrupts, an iconic alliance that was good for both men and was paying big dividends to America. Whether Musk is right that his support and his extensive financial contributions made the difference in last year's campaign is impossible to know. But there is no doubt that the addition of Musk, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Tulsi Gabbard to the Trump train broadened his appeal well beyond traditional GOP circles and MAGA diehards. Advertisement Consider, for example, that Kamala Harris foolishly tried to counter Trump's moves by adding former Republican Vice President Dick Cheney and his daughter Liz Cheney to her team and claiming they were evidence she had bipartisan appeal. The advantage to Trump wasn't a close call. As for Musk, most critical was his commitment to DOGE and to the idea that spending cuts are not only possible but essential to the nation's future. He used his soapbox to set a new standard for Washington, even if the results fell short of the promise. Advertisement Whatever started his break with Trump, it was complete when he attacked the tax cut and spending legislation the president helped to craft, saying at one point, 'I think a bill can be big or it can be beautiful, but I don't know if it can be both.' No damage to agenda The oddity is that the break came after Musk officially left his temporary DOGE post, complete with a happy sendoff in the Oval Office where Trump praised him and gave him a ceremonial key to the White House. Given the nasty nature of the rupture, attempts by others to forge a reconciliation are not likely to succeed. Yet even if the break is final, I don't believe it will do serious damage to the president's agenda, despite the hopes of media doomsayers. As even The New York Times ruefully conceded in a Saturday headline, 'Elon Musk May Be Out. But DOGE Is Just Getting Started.' Advertisement 3 President Donald Trump speaks during a news conference with Elon Musk in the Oval Office of the White House, Friday, May 30, 2025, in Washington. AP Another mistake many Trump observers are making is seeing him through the eyes of his chaotic first term. As I have noted before, Trump 2.0 is a very different person. Being on the sideline for four years served him well in that he better understood Washington, and was smarter about what he wanted to achieve and who could help him do that. Advertisement In raw political terms, Biden's spending-palooza that drove inflation to 40-year highs and the inexplicable decision to open the southern border were gifts that helped pave the way to a Trump return. And then came the brush with death from a would-be assassin's bullet in Pennsylvania. 'God spared me' I had previously arranged to interview Trump the next day on his flight to the GOP convention in Milwaukee, and to my everlasting surprise, he kept his schedule. It was during that interview that he first raised the idea of divine intervention, saying, 'I'm not supposed to be here . . . I'm supposed to be dead.' His wry sense of humor remained intact, as he noted that people were already calling the photo of him standing up, pumping his fist and shouting 'fight, fight, fight,' with his face streaked with his own blood, an 'iconic' scene. 'They're right and I didn't die,' Trump said. 'Usually you have to die to have an iconic picture.' Although he was never an especially religious man, Trump began to embrace the idea that 'God spared me for a purpose, and that purpose is to restore America to greatness.' It's a fat target for haters, but the important thing is that Trump himself believes it to be true. One result is that he is a much calmer and more gracious president. Even his demeanor last week reflected a 'what, me worry?' approach, as he demonstrated in a series of quick phone interviews with media outlets, including The Post, where he insisted he was not rattled by the blowup. His explanation was simple: Musk suffers from 'Trump Derangement Syndrome.' Woof, woof, and the caravan moves on.
Newsweek
6 hours ago
- Newsweek
Riley Gaines and Simone Biles Beef Online Amid Trans Athlete Debate
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Olympic gold medalist Simone Biles and former collegiate swimmer and conservative activist Riley Gaines have exchanged barbs on social media amid a debate over transgender athletes in sports. Newsweek reached out to press representatives for Biles and Gaines via email on Saturday. Why It Matters A national debate about transgender athletes escalated during the 2024 presidential election cycle, as President Donald Trump pledged to minimize transgender athletes' participation in sports that don't match their biological sex. One of his first executive orders mandated that the government only recognize the existence of two sexes—male and female—which he said are "not changeable." Biles, 28, is the most decorated American gymnast in Olympic history, with 11 medals, including seven gold. She has also earned dozens of world championship medals and complex gymnastic moves have been named after her. She is a prominent voice in both sports and mental health. Gaines, 25, a former collegiate swimmer for the University of Kentucky, has been outspoken in her opposition to transgender policies in sports and is the host of the Gaines for Girls podcast. What To Know On Friday, Riley Gaines reposted a message from the Minnesota State High School League on X, formerly Twitter, of the Champlin Park High School's championship win, writing "comments off lol. To be expected when your star player is a boy." Her comment follows reports that Marissa Rothenberger, a 17-year-old member of the team, is transgender. Newsweek has reached out to the school for comment via email on Saturday. Biles reshared Gaines' post, calling her "truly sick." @Riley_Gaines_ You're truly sick, all of this campaigning because you lost a race. Straight up sore loser. You should be uplifting the trans community and perhaps finding a way to make sports inclusive OR creating a new avenue where trans feel safe in sports. Maybe a transgender... — Simone Biles (@Simone_Biles) June 6, 2025 The post continued: "all of this campaigning because you lost a race. Straight up sore loser. You should be uplifting the trans community and perhaps finding a way to make sports inclusive OR creating a new avenue where trans feel safe in sports. Maybe a transgender category IN ALL sports!! But instead... You bully them... One things for sure is no one in sports is safe with you around!!!!!" In 2022, Gaines tied for fifth place in a competition with swimmer Lia Thomas, a transgender athlete during a collegiate competition. In another post Biles said to Gaines "bully someone your own size, which would ironically be a male." Gaines wrote in response: "This is actually so disappointing. It's not my job or the job of any woman to figure out how to include men in our spaces. You can uplift men stealing championships in women's sports with YOUR platform. Men don't belong in women's sports and I say that with my full chest." (L): Simone Biles, of the United States, holds up her medals after the women's artistic gymnastics individual apparatus finals Bercy Arena at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Monday, Aug. 5, 2024, in Paris, France. (R):Former collegiate... (L): Simone Biles, of the United States, holds up her medals after the women's artistic gymnastics individual apparatus finals Bercy Arena at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Monday, Aug. 5, 2024, in Paris, France. (R):Former collegiate swimmer Riley Gaines stands following a news conference after the House passed a measure that would ban transgender women and girls from school sports programs aimed at female students on Capitol Hill, Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2025, in Washington. More AP Photo/Charlie Riedel/Mark Schiefelbein In a separate post she added, "My take is the least controversial take on the planet. Simone Biles being a male-apologist at the expense of young girls' dreams? Didn't have that on my bingo card. Maybe she could compete in pommel horse and rings in 2028." In a third post, Gaines wrote, "And the subtle hint at "body-shaming" ???? Plzzzz I'm 5'5." Early into Saturday, Gaines began posting about Biles and the sexual abuse of former Team USA doctor Larry Nassar. Nassar was sentenced to 60 years in federal prison in 2017 over child pornography charges, and in 2018 plead guilty to criminal sexual conduct in Michigan. Gaines shared a clip of Biles testifying about Nassar's actions next to her X post to Gaines, with the caption: "Simone Biles when she had to endure a predatory man Vs Simone Biles when other girls have to endure predatory men." Gaines has continued to share various generated images jabbing at Biles. What People Are Saying Alex Cole, an influencer on X with over 300,000 followers, wrote on X: "Simone Biles has 11 Olympic medals. Riley Gaines has 11 Fox News appearances complaining about people who actually win medals." Payton McNabb, former high school volleyball player and sports ambassador at Independent Women, told Newsweek in an email Saturday: "Female athletes train hard, sacrifice, and compete with heart. They deserve a level playing field, not a rigged system that favors male strength and biology." Brandon Wolf, press secretary for the Human Rights Campaign, said in an X post: "Simone Biles is the GOAT. Riley Gaines is the poster child for turning failure into grift. And that's that on that." President Donald Trump wrote in a Truth Social post earlier this week: "A Biological Male competed in California Girls State Finals, WINNING BIG, despite the fact that they were warned by me not to do so. As Governor Gavin Newscum fully understands, large scale fines will be imposed!!!" White House spokesperson Harrison Fields told Newsweek on Tuesday: "President Trump is protecting women in sports and restoring common sense. Those who choose to violate federal law will be held accountable." What Happens Next The Trump administration has launched multiple investigations into whether sports governing bodies and educational institutions have violated federal antidiscrimination laws, particularly under Title IX.
