Warfighter Support

The Department of Defense (DOD) is increasing focus on the Pacific where potential adversaries including China and North Korea have made provocations. In January 2017, the Marine Corps began transferring F-35 aircraft to Iwakuni, Japan—representing the first overseas stationing of the F-35 since its development. DOD expects to use the F-35’s air combat capabilities, along with a basing strategy known as distributed operations—where, for example, aircraft disperse into smaller detachments to outmaneuver the enemy—to counter any regional threats.