USMC F-35Bs have starting their first training exercise with Japan's F-35As

A joint exercise between Japan Air Self-Defense Force and the U.S. Marine Corps at Misawa air base saw eight F-35Bs from MCAS Iwakuni deployed there to carry out the first drills with Japan’s F-35As.

U.S. Air Force Maj. Elijah Supper, Defense Contract Management Agency government flight representative, taxis an F-35B on the runway at Misawa Air Base, Japan, Nov. 2, 2017. To ensure the jet safely makes it to the United States, Supper stopped at Misawa Air Base, Japan, to undergo safety checks on the aircraft before flying across the ocean. (U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Brittany A. Chase)

Four F-2 fighters, four JASDF F-15s from Chitose Air Base and one 767 AWAC from the Airborne Warning and Control Group at Hamamatsu Air Base are participating as well.

“Misawa Aircraft Training Relocation provides our Marines and Sailors an excellent opportunity to train with our U.S. Air Force counterparts and Japanese allies in the spirit of mutual security cooperation, while at the same time, allowing us to further hone our skills across a spectrum of F-35 mission sets,” Col. Mark Palmer, Marine Aircraft Group 12 commander, said in a statement.