Drones and missiles: U.S. Marines in Okinawa evolve for sea-denial role

With high-tech weapons, reorganized units and deeper integration with the Self-Defense Forces (SDF), the U.S. Marine Corps’ forward-deployed expeditionary force in Japan is shifting how it postures and equips its forces to respond to the new security challenges emerging across the Indo-Pacific, according to the force’s commander.

“We are embedding new capabilities and procedures into our daily operations and proving them in large-scale exercises focused on defending key maritime terrain and responding to humanitarian crises,” III Marine Expeditionary Force (III MEF) chief Lt. Gen. Roger Turner told The Japan Times in an interview.

The goal, he said, is to transform the Okinawa-headquartered force into one that can project power not just in the traditional sense — from sea to land — but also in the air, space and cyberspace.