The 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit wrapped up a MEU Exercise in Okinawa on Friday as it prepares for an upcoming Indo-Pacific deployment. At the same time, Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 211 “Wake Island Avengers,” an F-35B Lightning II fighter squadron based out of Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, Arizona, has deployed to MCAS Iwakuni, Japan, under the Marine Corps Unit Deployment Program.
Elsewhere a U.S. Navy destroyer carried out drills with the Republic of Korea Navy in the Sea of Japan aimed at countering North Korean special operations forces while People’s Liberation Army Navy surveillance ships transited through Japan’s southwest region on their return from carrying out surveillance missions in the Pacific.
A Friday release by the 31st MEU stated that the unit carried out MEUEX in Okinawa, from Apr. 28 to Friday and that MEUEX is conducted twice a year and provides realistic training events for standing missions.
MEUEX prepared 2,400 Marines and sailors for the deployment. “MEUEX is two weeks of Marine Air-Ground Task Force integration training, and this event welds together each element of the MAGTF ensuring the MEU fights as a coherent unit,” said Col. Chris P. Niedziocha, the commanding officer of the 31st MEU in the release, “The ultimate goal is what I like to call ‘first night of the war’ readiness. This ensures that when we’re called, we’re ready.”
The Amphibious Combat Vehicle (ACV) is being integrated with the 31st MEU for the first time for future operations, according to the release.
The 31st MEU/America ARG deployment would mark the second time both units have deployed out this year having deployed out from Jan. 28 to Mar. 6. The Japan-based Amphibious Squadron 11, whose ships form the America ARG, consists of amphibious assault ship USS America (LHA-6), amphibious transport dock ships New Orleans (LPD-18) and USS San Diego (LPD-22) and amphibious dock landing ship USS Rushmore (LSD-47). The upcoming deployment is expected to be America’s last engagement as a forward-deployed amphibious assault ship before being replaced by amphibious assault ship USS Tripoli (LHA-7).
Since the 15th MEU and Boxer ARG wrapped up their Indo-Pacific deployment with the return of amphibious assault ship USS Boxer (LHD-4) to San Diego on Nov. 24, 2024, no West Coast-based MEU/ARG force has deployed to the Indo-Pacific so far though amphibious dock landing ship USS Comstock (LSD-45) is currently deployed in the region with the 1st Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, 1st Marine Division, embarked on it.
Meanwhile on Saturday, F-35Bs of VMFA-211 “Wake Island Avengers” arrived at MCAS Iwakuni, Japan, on Saturday under the Marine Corps’ Unit Deployment Program, joining Marine Aircraft Group (MAG) 12, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing (MAW) in support of flight operations across the Indo-Pacific region, according to a Marine Corps release, “The Unit Deployment Program provides continental U.S.-based units with experience operating in the Indo-Pacific through continuous and overlapping deployments to the region. The Wake Island Avengers will augment 1st Marine Aircraft Wing in providing critical aviation support from naval and expeditionary environments.”, read the release.
In 2021, VMFA-211, based out of Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, Arizona, had deployed to the Indo-Pacific, embarked on Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth (R08) alongside Royal Air Force 617 Squadron “Dambusters”. 617 Sqn is currently embarked on aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales (R09) which is leading deployment to the Indo-Pacific which includes Japan in its itinerary and it is expected that both squadrons will reunite during joint drills there.
Meanwhile from Thursday to Sunday, destroyer USS William P. Lawrence (DDG-110) along with P-8A Poseidon Maritime Patrol Aircraft (MPA) carried out an exercise called Maritime Counter Special Operation Force (MCSOF) in the East Sea (Sea of Japan) with more than 10 ROKN ships and submarines, including destroyer ROKS Yulgok Yi I (DDG-992) and 10 aircraft including ROKN P-3C Orion MPA and AW-159 Lynx maritime operations helicopters and Republic of Korea Air Force (ROKAF) FA-50 and KF-16 fighter aircraft, according to a ROKN release.
The release stated that the U.S. and South Korean forces conducted training to counter simultaneous ‘provocations’ in the sea, underwater and the air, focusing on MCSOF exercises to defeat North Korean special warfare forces infiltrating south and anti-submarine warfare exercises to detect, identify, track, and destroy enemy submarines infiltrating underwater. The two sides also carried out drills to counter infiltrating enemy unmanned aerial vehicles, countering national security threats, preventing the maritime proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMD), and maneuvering forces at sea, according to the release.
William P Lawrence deployed on Nov. 18, 2024, from San Diego together with aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70) cruiser USS Princeton (CG-59) and destroyer USS Sterett (DDG-104) as part of the Carl Vinson CSG, however, it did not follow the CSG to the Middle East and remained behind to operate around North East Asia, carrying out a Taiwan Strait transit on Apr. 23.
