Iwakuni (Japan)

Iwakuni Friendship Day 2025

4 May 2025

Report and photos by Reinier Schreurs

OP-3C 9132 photographed just after airborne and busy with retracting its gear. This 81 Kokutai Orion was one of the aircraft flying in the JMSDF flyover in which all three JMSDF units stationed at Iwakuni participated. The Fuji T-5s in the foreground are part of Ozuki based display team 'White Arrows'.

On 4 May 2025, MCAS Iwakuni in cooperation with the JMSDF Fleet Air Wing 31 held its annual open day. The show opened with the jumpers from team FASTRAX jumping from a VMGR-152 KC-130J, followed by a flyover of the JMSDF aircraft and helicopters stationed at Iwakuni, a flyover by CVW-5 and the White Arrows, a team of 4 T-5s from 201 Kyoiku Kokutai.

In the afternoon there was the MAGTF demo, the PACAF F-16 demo, a JGSDF Fast Rope demo, a race between a US-2 and a Fire Truck, the F/A-18 demo by the West Coast Demo Team who borrowed a F/A-18F from VFA-102, an F-2 demo from 6 Hikotai and the F-35B demo from VMFA-242. For the White Arrows it was the first Friendship Day. For VFA-147 it was also the first Friendship Day as they only recently joined CVW-5. And for VRM-30 it was the first chance to show off their new CMV-22Bs.

No sundown for the JASDF's UH-60J II fleet as more and more new helicopters are joining the SAR fleet of the Koku Kyunandan. Its co-team-member, the U-125A, is scheduled to be slowly withdrawn, with its task taken over by more helicopters. Although not visible on the outside anymore, UH-60J II 58-4593 is one of three helicopters operating with the Ashiya Kyunantai, together with two U-125As.

Neat row of four F-35s on the static, F-35B 169681/DT-25 of VMFA-242 as main subject. This was the first time an F-35C was present at Iwakuni's Friendship day, NF-305 was put on the static as #2 in this picture. Just visible in the back are the colours of CF-01 and these included its serial painted in red.

Hangar 1 held many surprises including CH-101 (Merlin) 8191 of the Shirase Hikohan. JS Shirase/AGB-5003 is Japan's polar icebreaker, normally housing two of these helicopters. The JMSDF had three CH-101s, unfortunately one (8193) was written off in 2017 but the wreck could still be seen, albeit behind screens and covered.

F-35B 169623/DT of VMFA-242 was adorned with some extra coloured markings including a large bat on top of the fuselage. It had the honour of performing the F-35B demo on this day.

Always a crowd pleaser, the Marine Air-Ground Task Force (MAGTF) demo which, besides these three helicopters, also featured four F-35Bs , one KC-130J and lots of pyrotechnics to simulate bomb drops. After strafing and clearing the drop-off zone by the AH-1Z and UH-1Y, a bunch of marines are exiting the CH-53E. Actors are UH-1Y SN-37, AH-1Z SN-42 and CH-53E 17.

Credits: Reinier Schreurs, additional info Jurgen van Toor

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