U.S. Navy F-35 Pilots Conduct High-Intensity Carrier Landing Drills at Iwakuni Amid Indo-Pacific Tensions.

The U.S. Navy says its F-35 Lightning II pilots are conducting high-intensity carrier-landing drills at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, according to an early November update shared on its official X account. The exercises mark a deeper phase of forward-deployed readiness between U.S. and Japanese forces as regional tensions continue to climb.

The U.S. Navy confirmed in an early November 2025 announcement on its official X platform that F-35C Lightning II pilots stationed in Japan have begun a new cycle of high-intensity Field Carrier Landing Practice (FCLP) at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni. Service officials characterized the drills as an essential step in preparing pilots for shipboard operations, noting that the pattern work and approach repetitions at Iwakuni mirror the precision demands of real-world recoveries at sea.
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U.S. Navy F-35C Lightning II jet conducts Field Carrier Landing Practice at MCAS Iwakuni, simulating arrested landings to maintain carrier readiness amid heightened Indo-Pacific operations. (Picture source: U.S.Navy X account)

Images shared on the U.S. Navy’s X account show U.S. Navy F-35C jets taxiing across sunlit tarmac, poised under the scrutiny of flight deck crews, and executing repeated approaches in carrier-like patterns. While the runway remains stationary, every element of the drill is designed to replicate the unforgiving environment of an aircraft carrier at sea. Pilots fly tight, repetitive patterns at low altitude, landing within marked arresting zones to simulate deck landings. It is a critical stage before embarking aboard operational carriers, where precision is non-negotiable.

Though FCLP (Field Carrier Landing Practice) is a standard training requirement for carrier aviators, its current implementation at Iwakuni carries heightened operational relevance. This training cycle comes just six months after the arrival of two U.S. Marine Corps F-35B squadrons at the base in May 2025. Their deployment reflects a broader strategic shift as the Pentagon continues to reinforce its posture in the Indo-Pacific, leveraging Iwakuni’s proximity to flashpoints like the Taiwan Strait and the East China Sea.

The F-35C, flown by the U.S. Navy, is the carrier-capable variant of the fifth-generation Joint Strike Fighter. Distinct from the Marine Corps’ F-35B, the F-35C features larger wings with folding tips, enhanced internal fuel capacity, and strengthened landing gear designed to withstand the high-impact stress of carrier catapult launches and arrested recoveries. It is equipped with advanced stealth, sensor fusion, and long-range strike capabilities, allowing it to operate as a multi-role platform that extends the reach and lethality of carrier air wings in contested environments.

Field Carrier Landing Practice remains essential for preparing pilots to perform high-risk arrested landings under combat conditions. These exercises reinforce critical skills such as glide slope control, speed management, and deck alignment, while also sharpening coordination with ground and flight deck crews. In forward-deployed locations like Iwakuni, such training ensures rapid, mission-ready integration with U.S. Navy carrier strike groups already operating in theater.

As regional threats intensify, the strategic backdrop to this training becomes increasingly apparent. The People’s Liberation Army has expanded its maritime and air presence across the East and South China Seas, conducting sustained military pressure operations near Taiwan and escalating joint naval maneuvers with Russia. In response, U.S. forces have adopted a more visible and agile posture, conducting continuous presence operations, aerial reconnaissance, and rapid deployment drills from forward bases such as Iwakuni.

Daily flight operations now reflect not only readiness routines but also a broader joint operational framework with Japanese forces. MCAS Iwakuni has evolved into a key launch platform for bilateral exercises and integrated maritime defense scenarios. Coordination between U.S. and Japanese units is increasingly seamless, involving intelligence-sharing, joint targeting simulations, and airbase security operations aligned with Japan’s 2022 National Defense Strategy.

For U.S. Navy F-35C pilots, mastering FCLP at Iwakuni signals more than just qualification. It demonstrates a sharpened edge in tactical proficiency, regional reach, and operational tempo. As great power competition intensifies across the Indo-Pacific, these seemingly routine drills are shaping the battle-tested precision and readiness that define modern naval airpower.

Written by Alain Servaes – Chief Editor, Army Recognition Group
Alain Servaes is a former infantry non-commissioned officer and the founder of Army Recognition. With over 20 years in defense journalism, he provides expert analysis on military equipment, NATO operations, and the global defense industry.