U.S.-based F-35B squadron deploys to Japan for Unit Deployment Program

08 September 2026

From Capt. Brady Mallory, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing

MARINE CORPS AIR STATION IWAKUNI, Japan — The U.S. Marine Corps deploys Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 533, also known as the “Hawks,” an F-35B Lightning II squadron based at Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, South Carolina to MCAS Iwakuni, Japan, under the Marine Corps’ Unit Deployment Program (UDP) on Sept. 5, 2026.

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VMFA-533, an F-35B Lightning II aircraft squadron operating out of MCAS Beaufort, South Carolina, deployed to MAG-12, 1st MAW under the Unit Deployment Program, maintaining rotational, forward-deployed U.S. forces across the Indo-Pacific. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Alejandra Vega)

A U.S. Marine Corps F-35B Lightning II aircraft assigned to Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 533, Marine Aircraft Group 12, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing, taxis the flight line at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Yamaguchi, Japan, Sep. 5, 2026.

VMFA-533 joins Marine Aircraft Group (MAG) 12, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing, and will conduct aviation operations and maintain combat readiness throughout the Indo-Pacific region. VMFA-533 will integrate as the new UDP squadron, replacing the current UDP squadron, VMFA-232.

The Unit Deployment Program provides continental U.S.-based units with experience operating in the Indo-Pacific through continuous and overlapping deployments to the region. The Hawks will augment 1st Marine Aircraft Wing’s ability to provide combat-ready, task-organized aviation forces capable of operating from naval and expeditionary environments. This enhances operational readiness, promotes regional stability, and demonstrates the United States’ enduring commitment to the U.S.-Japan Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security.