Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni

Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, also known as MCAS Iwakuni, is a joint air station situated in the Nishiki river delta, Iwakuni, Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan. It serves as a base for both the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force and the United States Marine Corps. The site was acquired by the Japanese government in 1938 and commissioned as a naval air station on July 8, 1940. During World War II, it functioned as a training and defense base, housing trainers and Zero fighter planes. The base was bombed by American B-29s in May and August 1945. Following the war, it was occupied by Allied forces, including the U.S., Britain, Australia, and New Zealand, and was designated a Royal Australian Air Force Base in 1948. In 1950, the Americans began using it for aircraft heading to the Korean War, and it officially became a U.S. military base in 1952. From 1952 to 1964, Iwakuni also had scheduled international service by private airlines.

Currently, MCAS Iwakuni is home to approximately 10,000 U.S. Marines, sailors, and their families. It is utilized for Marine pilot training and air patrol, with aircraft such as F/A-18 Hornet fighter-attack aircraft. A new offshore runway, 2,440 meters in length, opened on May 30, 2010. The base hosts various units, including Marine Aircraft Group 12, which comprises VMFA-242, VMFA-121, and VMGR-152, along with logistics and support squadrons. Carrier Air Wing 5, including squadrons like VFA-147, VFA-195, VFA-27, VFA-102, VAQ-141, and VAW-125, completed its relocation to Iwakuni by March 2018. The base also supports the 374th Communications Squadron of the U.S. Air Force and Fleet Air Wing 31 of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force.

Commercial services commenced on December 13, 2012, with a civilian airport terminal, operating under the official nickname "Iwakuni Kintaikyo Airport." The base hosts an annual "Friendship Day" on May 5, an air show open to the public, attracting a large number of visitors.