Iwakuni (Japan)

Iwakuni Friendship Day 2026

3 May 2026 (rehearsal 2 May 2026)

Report and photos by Reinier Schreurs

Dramatic picture showing the dismal weather conditions on the Sunday of the Iwakuni Friendship Day 2026. It seems almost to be a pattern, almost perfect conditions on the days of the rehearsals and wet and windy on the day itself. F/A-18D 164688/WT-22 making a high speed pass over Iwakuni.

Every year MCAS Iwakuni and the Japan Maritime Self Defense Force open their gates to strengthen relationships with the host community and offer a cultural exchange that highlights the mutual support between the US and Japan. This year the 47th Friendship Day was held on 3 May.

The show started with America’s Skydiving Team Fastrax diving through a very cloudy sky while flying the bilateral streamers of the US-Japan Alliance. After that it was the turn of the JMSDF with their ceremonial flight, consisting of a MCH-101, 2 US-2s and 3 P-3s. Next was the MAGTF demo with action-packed demonstration that showcases the versatility and power of the Marine Air-Ground Task Force. For the first time two F-35 demo teams were present. VFA-125 borrowed an F-35C from VFA-147 and VMFAT-502 borrowed an F-35B from VMFA-242.

Because it had started raining the teams had to fly their low programmes. CVW5 sent two CMV-22Bs and two F-35Cs in the air but the weather was deemed too bad for a safe flypast so the CVW5 demo was cancelled. The last demo of the day was the US-2 solo display. In the meantime the weather had become too bad and the visibility too low so all performances for the afternoon were cancelled and Friendship Day 2026 ended early.

Iwakuni based unit 71 Kokutai is celebrating its 50th anniversary, the reason US-2 9909 received some extra stickers.

Not easy to get the serials of these two US Navy aircraft, as access into the hangar was limited. But this task was completed, F-35C 170107/NF-315 of VFA-147 being the main subject.

Credits: Reinier Schreurs

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