After the overhaul, the USS George Washington resumed forward deployment in Japan. Conducting flight drills on Iwo Jima boosted US regional deterrence amid China’s expansion in the area.
United States Navy pilots have been conducting field landing drills on Iwo Jima this month, preparing for the upcoming deployment of USS George Washington. The Nimitz-class nuclear-powered aircraft carrier arrived at Yokosuka Naval Base on November 22, 2024, now the sea service’s only forward-deployed carrier.
It is the second time the warship has served in that role and the first since it completed an extensive Refueling and Complex Overhaul (RCOH) in May 2023.
For the crew, the deployment to Japan is more than welcome. The supercarrier’s RCOH extended nearly two years behind schedule, with the refit lasting nearly as long as the original construction.
The USS George Washington was previously forward-deployed to Japan from 2008 to 2015, but the situation is significantly different now. When the USS George Washington was last home-ported at Yokosuka, the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) was considerably smaller, and it was only at the end of the deployment that its first aircraft carrier entered service.
Today, the PLAN has two operational flattops, with a third completing its sea trials and a fourth carrier in the planning stages.
In addition, Beijing has begun to build the first drone aircraft carrier. At the same time, it recently unveiled a drone mothership that could be a force multiplier in a conflict in the Indo-Pacific.
The USS George Washington Conducts Field Carrier Landing Practice
On Monday, the US Navy and the Japanese Ministry of Defense confirmed that US naval aviators assigned to the USS George Washington would conduct field carrier landing practice (FCLP) on Iwo Jima (also known as Iwo To) through the end of May.
“During field carrier landing practice (FCLP), pilots perform repetitive “touch and go” landings at airfields, which simulate landing on an aircraft carrier. FCLP is required flight training that precedes carrier landing operations and simulates, as near as practicable, the conditions encountered during carrier landing operations,” the US Fleet Force Command explained on its website.
“Pilots of all experience levels must routinely practice the skills required to complete carrier landings to maintain the necessary levels of currency and proficiency.”
The air wing of USS George Washington includes Lockheed Martin F-35C Lightning II fifth-generation stealth fighters and Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet multirole fighters. According to a Newsweek report, those fighters are “stationed on land at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni in Japan when not deployed aboard [the carrier].”
The US Navy has operated FCLP operations on Iwo Jima since 1989.
“While the island has no local population, allowing for both day and night flight operations, the Navy has said it is not a suitable permanent training site because of its remote location and lack of divert airfields,” Newsweek added.
“This training is extremely significant for the defense of our country and for strengthening the deterrent and response capabilities of the United States in the region,” the Japanese Ministry of Defense said in a statement.
Four additional sites in Japan, including Misawa Air Base, Yokota Air Base, Naval Air Facility Atsugi, and Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, can also be used in FCLP operations. The Japanese MoD confirmed that those facilities could be used in the training should weather or other “unforeseen circumstances” affect Iwo Jima.
The USS George Washington and Other Aircraft Carriers to Operate in the Indo-Pacific
The US Navy has not released any details on when the subsequent deployment of USS George Washington could begin. Still, the carrier could leave Yokosuka sometime in the coming weeks or sooner.
The USS George Washington could be deployed as another US Navy carrier operating in the region, which may head to the Middle East.
It was reported that USS Nimitz and her carrier strike group (CSG) were operating near the Malacca Strait. Still, the Pentagon hasn’t confirmed if the USS Nimitz will head to the US Central Command (CENTCOM) area of responsibility to join USS Carl Vinson, which is now the sole carrier in the Red Sea as USS Harry S. Truman has completed her deployment to the Middle East and was operating in the Mediterranean earlier this week.
About the Author: Peter Suciu
Peter Suciu has contributed over 3,200 published pieces to more than four dozen magazines and websites over a thirty-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a Contributing Writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. He is based in Michigan. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can email the author: [email protected].
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