US, Japanese marines train to seize enemy-held town during Iron Fist exercise

U.S. Marines walking off a MV-22 Osprey.

U.S. Marines depart an MV-22 Osprey while training with Japanese soldiers to seize an enemy-held town on Camp Hansen, Okinawa, March 6, 2026. The drill was part of the annual Iron Fist exercise. (Ryan M. Breeden/Stars and Stripes)

CAMP HANSEN, Okinawa — U.S. Marines and their Japanese counterparts practiced seizing an enemy-held town during the culmination of a three-week exercise aimed at strengthening the allies’ defense of remote islands.

About 50 members of the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit’s Battalion Landing Team and roughly the same number of Japanese soldiers were flown Friday on MV-22 Ospreys and CH-47 Chinook helicopters to surround and seize Combat Town, a mock urban training site in Camp Hansen’s Central Training Area.

U.S. Marines walking off an Osprey.

The drill marked the first time forces conducted simulated enemy combat during this year’s Iron Fist exercise, an Amphibious Rapid Deployment Brigade spokesman, Maj. Kenichi Nakashima, told Stars and Stripes between helicopter landings.

The annual training includes amphibious assaults, maritime maneuvers and ground combat drills at multiple locations across Japan and concluded Monday.

“Days like this show how our planning works and how our execution works together,” 1st Lt. Giovanni Jimenez, spokesman for the 3rd Marine Expeditionary Brigade, said between landings.

The scenario’s ground operation began at 8 a.m., Nakashima said, with additional forces advancing toward the area from the rear.

A Japanese CH-47 dropping off Japanese soldiers.

A CH-47 Chinook drops off members of Japan’s Amphibious Rapid Deployment Brigade to the Central Training Area on Camp Hansen, Okinawa, March 6, 2026. The drill was part of the annual Iron Fist exercise. (Ryan M. Breeden/Stars and Stripes)

The first wave of Amphibious Rapid Deployment Brigade troops — a Japan Ground Self-Defense Force unit established in 2018 and modeled partly on the U.S. Marine Corps — landed in two helicopters around 2 p.m. A second wave arrived about 15 minutes later.

The troops disembarked and moved into the tree line to establish a perimeter around the training site.

Japanese soldiers in a field.

Japanese CH-47 Chinooks drop off members of Japan’s Amphibious Rapid Deployment Brigade to the Central Training Area on Camp Hansen, Okinawa, March 6, 2026. The drill was part of the annual Iron Fist exercise. (Ryan M. Breeden/Stars and Stripes)

The first wave of Marines arrived in two Ospreys about an hour later and advanced closer to the mock town. As one aircraft took off, hot exhaust from the tiltrotor’s engines ignited a small brush fire in the landing zone. Marines quickly extinguished the flames.

“Nothing was wrong with the engine … the wind that’s generated from the engine is hot enough to ignite a fire with very, very dry and flammable grass,” Jimenez said.

Two more Ospreys were scheduled to bring a second wave of Marines about 15 minutes later, but only one aircraft landed. Jimenez said he did not know why the other Osprey did not arrive at the landing zone.

U.S. Marines kneeling near trees and tall grass.

Members of the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit’s Battalion Landing Team take positions at the Central Training Area on Camp Hansen, Okinawa, March 6, 2026. The drill was part of the annual Iron Fist exercise. (Ryan M. Breeden/Stars and Stripes)

The exercise was to include two Japanese V-22 Ospreys operating for the first time out of U.S. facilities on Okinawa.

However, Japan decided to halt training with the tiltrotor aircraft on the island, a Japan Ground Staff spokesman told Stars and Stripes on Feb 19. Some Japanese government officials must speak to the press only on condition of anonymity.

Training at Hansen began Feb. 27 with amphibious beach landings before shifting to the Central Training Area later in the exercise, according to training documents from Japan’s Ministry of Defense.

A Japanese soldier standing near tall grass.

A Japan Ground Self-Defense Force soldier takes his position during an Iron Fist landing and combat training drill on Camp Hansen, Okinawa, March 6, 2026. (Ryan M. Breeden/Stars and Stripes)

Nakashima said Japanese troops have gained confidence through years of training alongside U.S. Marines.

“When we started Iron Fist, we learned a lot from the Marines, and it felt like we were the students and they were the teachers,” he said. “But now we’re finally on an equal footing.”