The Department of Defense (DOD) is increasing focus on the Pacific where potential adversaries including China and North Korea have made provocations. In January 2017, the Marine Corps began transferring F-35 aircraft to Iwakuni, Japan—representing the first overseas stationing of the F-35 since its development. DOD expects to use the F-35’s air combat capabilities, along with a basing strategy known as distributed operations—where, for example, aircraft disperse into smaller detachments to outmaneuver the enemy—to counter any regional threats.