Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS George Washington has returned to Yokosuka naval base in Kanagawa Prefecture nearly nine years after being relieved by the USS Ronald Reagan as the U.S. Navy’s forward-deployed carrier in Japan.
The nuclear-powered vessel, one of 11 carriers in the American fleet, arrived from San Diego at its new homeport Friday morning after completing its midlife refueling and overhaul in the United States — a refitting process that faced delays and was followed by predeployment certifications and inspections.
The 333-meter long warship, which was initially stationed at Yokosuka from 2008 to 2015, didn’t come alone.
For its second stint in Japan, the vessel was accompanied by Carrier Air Wing 5, its aviation arm, which last week arrived at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni in Yamaguchi Prefecture with a new addition: a squadron of state-of-the-art F-35C Lightning II fighters. The multirole fifth-generation jets are replacing legacy F/A-18E Super Hornets as part of Washington’s push to upgrade its fighter aircraft fleet in Japan.
“We’re coming back even better than we left,” said Capt. Patrick S. Corrigan, the air wings’ commander. “Our presence — both at sea and in Japan — is a powerful deterrent force in an ever-evolving theater.”
It is the first time this F-35 variant — specifically engineered for carrier-based operations — has been deployed to Japan.
Described as “the most capable fighter in the U.S. Navy,” the F-35C can not only fly farther than the other variants thanks to its additional fuel capacity, but also has foldable wingtips that allow for more room on the carrier’s deck, according to manufacturer Lockheed Martin.
Deployed in Iwakuni, the air wing operates from the carrier whenever the latter is at sea.
Carrier Air Wing 5 comprises nine squadrons featuring a broad array of aircraft, including F/A-18F and F/A-18E Super Hornet fighters, E-2 Hawkeye airborne command-and-control platforms, EA-18G Growler electronic warfare jets and CMV-22B Osprey transport aircraft, the latter of which have replaced legacy C-2A Greyhounds.
Also part of the air wing are two squadrons of Sea Hawk helicopters — one each for the MH-60S and MH-60R variants — although these operate out of Naval Air Facility Atsugi in Kanagawa Prefecture when not on the carrier.
The USS George Washington’s redeployment comes as Tokyo and Washington continue to expand their defense alliance and deepen ties with like-minded nations amid shared concerns that the military balance of power in Asia may be tilting in Beijing's favor.
In a statement released Tuesday, Japan’s Foreign Ministry said that as the regional security environment becomes increasingly severe, maintaining a “robust” U.S. Navy presence through the forward-deployment of USS George Washington and Carrier Air Wing 5 is “essential to the security of Japan and the maintenance of regional peace and stability.”
Vice Adm. Fred Kacher, commander of the U.S. 7th Fleet, said Friday that the carrier represents the "greatest maritime investment ... that we can make in the defense of Japan and the security of the Asia-Pacific."
Prior to arriving at Yokosuka, the George Washington Carrier Strike Group had taken part in Exercise Keen Sword alongside Maritime Self-Defense Force warships, as well as in the second iteration of the Freedom Edge multidomain maneuvers between the U.S., Japan and South Korea.
U.S. Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel, who witnessed the George Washington’s role in Freedom Edge, said the carrier's mission, along with the combined capabilities of U.S. and Japanese forces, will adapt to the evolving international threats.
“China is clearly building up its navy and its capabilities, but the United States and Japan are not standing still,” he stressed at Friday’s opening ceremony.
The latest developments come after China, which fields the world's largest navy in terms of vessel numbers, flew a prototype of a new twin-engine stealth fighter at an air show in Zhuhai earlier this month. The J-35 aircraft, which is similar in appearance to the single-engine F-35, is expected to become not only China's second fifth-generation aircraft — after the air force’s J-20 — but also the country’s second carrier-borne fighter alongside the J-15D.
This comes as the Chinese Navy continues testing its first indigenously designed and built carrier to be equipped with an electromagnetic aircraft launch system — one similar to that used on U.S. Ford-class carriers, as opposed to the conventional ski-jump ramp fitted onto China’s first two carriers, both of which are smaller and based on a Soviet design.
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