United States Marine Corps F-35B Lightning III UDP Japan

[Le Addeur noir]

This will be the thread for this type.

10x F-35B from VMFA-121 Green Pawns are scheduled to arrive at MCAS Iwakuni in January 2017. These jets will be joined by a further 6 F-35s, allowing a detachment to ba attached to the 31st MEU, currently serving on the USS Bon Homme Richard (LHD-6).

Watch this space when the Lightning III makes it's debut in Asia next year!.

[SquAdmin]

Small correction: Lightning II, not III. And afaik they're called Green Knights, not Pawns.

[Le Addeur noir]

Small correction: Lightning II, not III. And afaik they're called Green Knights, not Pawns.

You are of course, correct on both points.

Also it should be pointed out, VMFA-121 will be a permanantly based unit at Iwakuni, with the UDP not expected to commence until late 2017, or even 2018. VMFA-211 will possibly the first candidate for the Japanese UDP.

[Le Addeur noir]

On Tuesday, 10th January the first of the initial 10 F-35Bs of VMFA-121 departed MCAS Yuma,AZ. Two of the modexes were VK-02 and VK-04 of these initial departures.

[sdamico]

Another F-35 departure was VK-08. One of two supporting C-17As departing Yuma was 02-1109 of 62AW. Also a KC-10 noted departing. (Anyone catch the Coronet callsigns?)

First F-35s scheduled to arrive at Iwakuni Wednesday, rest by Thursday.

SD

[ngroot]

The Flickr page of MCAS Iwakuni shows VK-04 and VK-07 of VMFA-121 landing at MCAS Iwakuni on January 18, 2017.

Edit: This album shows VK-04 (BuNo 169168), VK-05 and VK-00 in transit to Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, on January 9, 2017. (The modexes and one BuNo is readable when you download the images.)

[sdamico]

KC-10A 84-0189 305AMW (PETRO81?) noted dragging F-35s final leg to Iwakuni.

SD

[ngroot]

169294 VK-08 and 169296 VK-10 and three more F-35B arrived at MCAS Iwakuni on January 19, 2017.

[Le Addeur noir]

169294 VK-08 and 169296 VK-10 and three more F-35B arrived at MCAS Iwakuni on January 19, 2017.

I was told by a Japanese based source VK-04,VK-07,VK-08 and VK-10 (at least) arrived at Iwakuni on the evening of January 19th.

[ngroot]

I was told by a Japanese based source VK-04,VK-07,VK-08 and VK-10 (at least) arrived at Iwakuni on the evening of January 19th.

VK-04 and VK-07 arrived a day earlier. I linked the pictures a couple posts back.

[Le Addeur noir]

3 more F-35Bs are reported as arriving at MCAS Iawkuni on Thursday 26th January,modexes VK-03,05 and 06.

[sdamico]

Two more F-35Bs have been noted at Iwakuni on 14 February: 169164/VK-00 and 169295/VK-09. These would appear to be two of the three previously unidentified aircraft that arrived on 19 January (and not part of the additional six--not scheduled to arrive until this summer). This leaves VK-02 as the likely candidate for the other unidentified aircraft that arrived on the 19th, thus completing the initial list of ten.

SD

[Starfighter_F-104G]

00 169164
02 169166
03 169167
04 169168
05 169169
06 169292
07 169293
08 169294
09 169295
10 169296

04 / 07 arrived 18-01-2017
00 / 02 / 08 / 09 / 10 arrived 19-01-2017
03 / 05 / 06 arrived 26-01-2017