US Marine F-35s to be 'cornerstone' in Japan, Pacific defense

The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, the most expensive and one of the most controversial weapons systems in US history, is on its way to Japan to be "the cornerstone" of US defense in the Pacific.

The first of 16 US Marine Corps F-35Bs left Arizona Monday on the initial overseas deployment for the stealth jets.

The planes are heading for Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, not far from Hiroshima, on the Japanese main island of Honshu.

Sending the $104 million jets to Iwakuni shows Washington's "commitment to the defense of Japan with the most capable and modern equipment in the U.S. inventory," 1st Lt. Karoline Foote of the III Marine Expeditionary Force in Japan told CNN in an email.

"It will be the cornerstone of a multi-mission joint force possessing improved mission flexibility and unprecedented effectiveness to engage and destroy both air and ground threats," Foote said.

Photos: F-35 testing

Marines and sailors aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Wasp secure and refuel an F-35B Lightning II fighter after its arrival for the first session of operational testing.

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Photos: F-35 testing

Vice Adm. William Hilrides, commander of Naval Sea Systems Command, holds up two fingers to indicate to the F-35B Lightning II pilot to power up for takeoff aboard the amphibious assault ship the amphibious assault ship USS Wasp in May.

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Photos: F-35 testing

An F-35B Lightning II takes off from the flight deck of the amphibious assault ship USS Wasp during test operations in May.

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Photos: F-35 testing

Sailors and Marines remove a generator for the F-35B Lightning II aircraft from an MV-22 Osprey assault support aircraft aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Wasp during operational testing in May. A new Pentagon report says the testing highlighted maintenance challenges for the F-35.

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Photos: F-35 testing

Sailors and distinguished visitors watch an F-35B Lightning II aircraft conduct vertical takeoff and landing flight operations aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Wasp in May. Click through the gallery to see more images from the testing.

The Marines are touting the F-35B's versatility, calling it "a true force multiplier."

"The unique combination of stealth, cutting-edge radar and sensor technology, and electronic warfare systems bring all of the access and lethality capabilities of a fifth-generation fighter, a modern bomber, and an adverse-weather, all-threat environment air support platform," a Marine statement said.

The single-engine F-35 comes in three variants. The A version is flown by the US Air Force, the B version by the Marines, and the C version will become part of the US Navy's fleet.

The F-35 is also being sold to and produced by US allies around the world, including Japan, which received its first unit in December.