The Japanese government bought a large portion of what is today MCAS Iwakuni in 1938, with the view of establishing a naval air station. They commissioned the new base on 8 July 1940. When World War II started, the Iwakuni Air Station was used as a training and defense base. The station housed 96 trainers and 150 Zero fighter planes on the airstrip. In September 1943, a branch of the Etajima Naval Academy was established here, with approximately 1,000 cadets undergoing training in the Basic, Junior, and Senior Officer's schools at any one time. American B-29's bombed Iwakuni in May and August 1945, concentrating on the oil refinery and Rail Transport Office or train station areas. The last air raid took place just a day before the war was brought to a close.
The first allies to reach Iwakuni at the war's end were a group of U.S. Marines who had signed papers ending the conflict for the Japanese air base. After the end of World War II, various military forces from the United States, Britain, Australia, and New Zealand occupied the base and it was repaired by No. 5 Airfield Construction Squadron RAAF and designated a Royal Australian Air Force Base in 1948. The Americans first occupied the base in 1950 to use it as a springboard for aircraft heading to the Korean War. In 1952, the base officially became a United States military base.[2]
F-51Ds of RAAF No. 77 Squadron in maintenance at Iwakuni Airfield, June 1950.
Iwakuni had scheduled international service by private airlines from 1952 to 1964, during which time it had the IATA airport code IWJ. This code was later reassigned to Iwami Airport in neighboring Shimane Prefecture.[3]
USMC F/A-18D takes off from MCAS Iwakuni in December 2005
A new off-shore runway opened at the base on 30 May 2010. The new runway is 2,440 meters in length.[5]
On 22 November 2017, a C-2A Greyhound cargo plane with 11 crew and passengers aboard crashed southeast of Okinawa after departing the base for the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan. Eight of the 11 were rescued.[6]
On 6 December 2018, a F/A-18D Hornet (callsign "Profane 12") belonging to VMFA(AW)-242 collided mid-air with a KC-130 (callsign "Sumo 41") from VMGR-152 during a nighttime training exercise. The crew of Sumo 41 were killed in the collision along with the pilot of Profane 12. The co-pilot of Profane 12 was rescued by JMSDF Search & Rescue in Japanese waters. An investigation into the accident was led by the Marine Corps. ProPublica later conducted their independent investigation after finding the Marine Corps's initial results to be inaccurate.[7][8]
USN Carrier Air Wing 5 relocation to MCAS Iwakuni
Since at least 2005 there had been plans to relocate Carrier Air Wing Five's fixed wing aircraft from Naval Air Facility Atsugi in Kanagawa Prefecture to Iwakuni.[9] Yamaguchi governor Sekinari Nii said there was "no way" Yamaguchi prefecture would accept this.[10] In 2006 Iwakuni voters rejected the plan in a plebiscite[11] and Iwakuni mayor Katsusuke Ihara urged Tokyo to drop the plan.[12] In 2007 the Japanese government passed legislation to prepare for the relocation of US Forces in Japan including subsidies for local affected areas.[13]
The move was planned to have been done in 2014, but after construction delays the move was delayed by three years, to 2017.[14][15][16]
The move did not include the wing's two helicopter squadrons. The first CVW-5 squadron, VAW-125 flying the E-2D Hawkeye arrived in January 2017. The Boeing E/A-18G Growlers of VAQ-141 "Shadowhawks" completed relocation in January, 2018. By March 2018, all fixed wing aircraft of Carrier Air Wing 5 had completed relocation from NAF Atsugi.[17]
USMC F-35B aircraft
The first aircraft of Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 121 "Green Knights" (VMFA-121) arrived on 18 January 2017.[18] This became the first forward deployed F-35B Lightning II squadron in the United States Marine Corps. They have since flown show of force sorties against North Korea.[19]
Role and operations
F-35B Lightning IIs with Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 121, taxi to the runway at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni
US Marine Corps
Taxiing F/A-18D Hornet of VMFA(AW)-242 at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni (2018)
Marine Aircraft Group 12 (MAG-12) contains the rotary and fixed wing aircraft assets of Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni. MAG-12 is home to three flying squadrons, an aviation logistics squadron, and a ground support squadron.
Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron 12 (MALS-12) provides logistics support, guidance, and direction to MAG-12 and other commands aboard the Station. Click on the link to the right for more information on the Marauders.
Headquarters and Headquarters Squadron (H&HS) provides administrative support and conducts training in general military skills for more than 800 Marines and sailors aboard MCAS Iwakuni.[20]
The 374th Communications Squadron provides communications support to H&HS, MAG-12, Branch Medical Clinic Iwakuni, Army Corps of Engineers, and the JMSDF.
Based units
Flying and notable non-flying units based at MCAS Iwakuni.[21][22][23]
Regular commercial service started from 13 December 2012 with a civilian airport terminal built to accommodate commercial flights. It was initially projected that up to 430,000 passengers would use the airport each year,[24] and in the first seven months of operations the airport handled over 200,000 passengers, with average load factors between Iwakuni and Tokyo exceeding 70% during June 2013.[25]
Since the IATA airport code IWJ, formerly assigned to Iwakuni, was reassigned to Iwami Airport, a new IATA code of IWK was assigned to Iwakuni. The inaugural flight was operated by All Nippon Airways from Haneda Airport. Iwakuni Airport is called by its official nickname "Iwakuni Kintaikyo Airport", named after the Kintaikyo bridge near the airport. In the future, the airport plans to serve international flights to China and South Korea, as well as more cities within Japan.
A child tries on a Kevlar helmet during the Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni Friendship Day 2016 Air Show, 5 May 2016.
Every year on 5 May, Japanese nationals and U.S. service members, government employees and their families officially celebrate their long-standing friendship by opening the gates of MCAS Iwakuni for one of Japan's largest air shows dedicated to enhancing the friendship of the two nations. The event, entitled Friendship Day, hosts an average 250,000 visitors who travel from all over Japan.[27][28]
^MCAS Iwakuni, Japan. (n.d.). MCAS Iwakuni History. Retrieved 17 March 2010, "History". Archived from the original on 13 March 2016. Retrieved 5 January 2016.
^"12月開港の岩国空港略称、「ＩＷＫ」に決まる". Nihon Keizai Shimbun. 28 July 2012. Retrieved 11 March 2014. 国交省大阪航空局などによると、1952～64年の間、岩国は国際空港として民間機が発着しており、このときの略称はＩＷＪだったという。これは現在、石見空港（島根県益田市）の略称として使われている。
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