Airport type Military Commander Col Richard F. Fuerst Year built 1940 | In use 1940 – present Phone +81 827-21-2006 | |
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Operator United States Marine Corps Location Iwakuni, Yamaguchi, Japan Occupants Marine Aircraft Group 12
Fleet Air Wing 31 Address 1 Chome Misumimachi, Iwakuni, Yamaguchi Prefecture 740-0025, Japan Similar 岩国錦帯橋空港, Iwakuni Station, 海上自衛隊岩国航空基地第３１航, Kintai Bridge Profiles | ||
Marine corps air station iwakuni s construction confusion future plans foil frustration
Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni or MCAS Iwakuni (IATA: IWK, ICAO: RJOI) is a United States Marine Corps air station located in the Nishiki river delta, 1.3 NM (2.4 km; 1.5 mi) southeast of Iwakuni Station in the city of Iwakuni, Yamaguchi, Japan.
Contents
US Marine Corps
US Navy
US Air Force
Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force
History
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 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. It was 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.
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.
Nuclear weapons were moved from Okinawa to the base for storage during a brief period in 1966. When U.S. ambassador to Japan Edwin O. Reischauer learned of the presence of the weapons, which was a violation of the Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security between the United States and Japan, he told the United States Department of State that if the weapons were not removed within 90 days he would resign and go public with the information. The weapons were removed shortly thereafter, and their presence at the base did not become publicly known until 2010.
It is currently home to around 5,000 United States Marines (including family members). The base is detailed for Marine pilot training and air patrol, using F/A-18 Hornet fighter-attack aircraft among others in compliance with the Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security obligations to protect Japan. MCAS Iwakuni is also shared with the Japanese Maritime Self Defense Force. MCAS Iwakuni has an air station that many people in Iwakuni want to be made into a public international airport. MCAS Iwakuni is home to a Department of Defense school, Matthew C. Perry (Elementary and High School).
A new off-shore runway opened at the base on 30 May 2010. The new runway is 2,440 meters in length.
USN Carrier Air Wing 5 relocation to MCAS Iwakuni
Since at least 2005 there have been plans to relocate Carrier Air Wing Five's fixed wing aircraft from Naval Air Facility Atsugi in Kanagawa Prefecture to Iwakuni. The wing's approximately 20 helicopters are not included in the planned move and are to remain at Atsugi. Yamaguchi governor Sekinari Nii said there was "no way" Yamaguchi prefecture would accept this. In 2006 Iwakuni voters rejected the plan in a plebiscite and Iwakuni mayor Katsusuke Ihara urged Tokyo to drop the plan. In 2007 the Japanese government passed legislation to prepare for the relocation of US Forces in Japan including subsidies for local affected areas.
The move was planned to have been done in 2014, but after construction delays the move was delayed by three years, to 2017.
As of January 2017 the plan is for the move to take place in stages and be completed in May 2018. The move does not include the wing's approximately 20 helicopters.
USMC F-35B aircraft
The first aircraft of Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 121 (VMFA-121) arrived on 18 January 2017.
Commercial services
Regular commercial service started from December 13, 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, 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.
Since IATA airport code IWJ, formerly assigned to Iwakuni, was already reassigned to Iwami Airport, new IATA code of IWK was assigned to Iwakuni. The inaugural flight was operated by All Nippon Airways from Haneda Airport. Also, Iwakuni Airport will be called by its official nickname "Iwakuni Kintaikyo Airport", named after the Kintaikyo bridge near the airport. In the future, they plan to serve international flights to China and South Korea and some other cities within Japan.
Friendship Day
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.