The USS George Washington, a United States aircraft carrier stationed in Japan, is set to embark on a new patrol in the western Pacific Ocean, a move intended to counter the growing naval threats posed by China.
The carrier recently returned to its home base in Japan, specifically the Yokosuka naval base near Tokyo, after undergoing maintenance in Virginia, where it had been since 2017.
Previously, the George Washington was forward-deployed to Japan from 2008 to 2015.
Since its return, the carrier has remained in Japan, while the U.S. Navy deployed two other aircraft carriers—USS Carl Vinson and USS Nimitz—into the western Pacific.
The USS Carl Vinson was subsequently redirected to the Middle East, while the USS Nimitz was operating near the Indian Ocean.
The upcoming patrol by the USS George Washington comes amidst active operations by the Chinese navy, which is currently the largest in the world by hull count.
The Chinese navy has been conducting maneuvers near Japan and Taiwan—key allies of the U.S.—and has recently deployed an aircraft carrier along with a task group featuring an amphibious warship.
In preparation for its patrol, the U.S. Navy and the Japanese Defense Ministry announced that U.S. naval aviators assigned to the George Washington will be conducting field carrier landing practice (FCLP) on Iwo To, also known as Iwo Jima.
This training is scheduled to take place from Monday through the end of the month.
During FCLP, pilots perform repetitive touch-and-go landings at a land-based airfield, simulating aircraft carrier landing maneuvers, which is essential for obtaining landing qualifications.
Tokyo emphasized the importance of this training, stating, “[FCLP] is an indispensable training program for pilots of carrier-based aircraft to land on the runway of a land-based airfield as if it were the deck of an aircraft carrier…”
The USS George Washington is equipped with a variety of aircraft, including F-35C, F/A-18E, and F/A-18F fighter jets, which are stationed at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni in Japan when not deployed aboard the ship.
Iwo To is a Japanese island located 750 miles south of Tokyo, historically significant as the site of a fierce battle during World War II, where nearly 7,000 U.S. Marines lost their lives and Japanese forces experienced over 18,000 casualties.
The U.S. Navy has been conducting FCLP on Iwo To since 1989, benefiting from the island’s uninhabited status, which allows for day and night flight operations without disturbing local populations.
However, officials have noted that Iwo To is not a viable permanent training site due to its remote location and lack of diversion airfields.
In case FCLP cannot be executed on Iwo To, four alternative locations on Japan’s main island of Honshu are designated as backup training sites: Misawa Air Base, Yokota Air Base, Naval Air Facility Atsugi, and Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni.
Addressing local concerns, the U.S. Navy has acknowledged noise issues and expressed a commitment to mitigating the impact of its training on Japanese residents while fulfilling operational readiness and defense obligations under the Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security.
The Japanese Defense Ministry has remarked on the significance of the FCLP, asserting that it is crucial for the defense of Japan and for enhancing the U.S. deterrence and response capabilities in the region.
As of Tuesday, the USS George Washington was still docked at the Yokosuka naval base, with uncertainty surrounding the timeline for its departure on the western Pacific patrol.
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