On February 20, US Marines stationed in Okinawa load ammunition into the cargo hold of a Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey.

2月20日，驻冲绳美海军陆战队员将弹药装载到“鱼鹰”运输机货舱。

By Liu Cheng

刘  澄

Recently, the US Marine Corps disclosed updates on troop adjustments in Okinawa, Japan, officially confirming for the first time that personnel withdrawals and unit formations are underway. Analysts suggest that the realignment of US forces in Okinawa is driven by a complex political and diplomatic backdrop and reflects broader shifts in Washington's force posture across the Indo-Pacific.

近期，美国海军陆战队向外界披露驻日本冲绳的兵力调整情况，首次证实已展开人员外撤和部队组建等工作。评论人士称，美国调整驻冲绳兵力，有着复杂的政治外交背景，是其调整亚太地区兵力部署的缩影。

Launching force relocation plan

开启移防计划

Currently, the US Marine Corps maintains the III Marine Expeditionary Force (III MEF) in Okinawa, with a total of 18,000 personnel.

目前，美军在冲绳部署的是第3陆战队远征部队，共计1.8万人。

According to the US military's deployment plan, 5,000 Marines will be relocated from Okinawa to Guam, including 1,300 permanently stationed at Camp Blaz and 3,700 on a rotational basis. Besides, 2,700 personnel will be transferred to Hawaii, 800 personnel will return to US mainland bases, and another 1,300 personnel will be rotationally deployed to Australia to bolster US forces there. Overall, the number of US Marines stationed in Okinawa will be reduced to fewer than 9,000, a downsizing of more than 50%.

根据美军部署计划，美海军陆战队将把5000人从冲绳转移至关岛，其中1300人常驻布拉兹兵营，3700人为阶段性轮换兵力。美军还将从冲绳调派2700人至美国夏威夷，另有800人撤回美国本土基地，还有1300人以轮换部署方式迁往澳大利亚，充实当地驻军规模。总体而言，美军驻冲绳海军陆战队将压缩至不足9000人，减幅超过50%。

Concealing strategic intentions

隐藏多种图谋

Analysts suggest that the relocation of US forces from Okinawa to Guam and the subsequent military adjustments reveals multiple strategic considerations.

分析人士称，驻日美军从冲绳移防至关岛并展开实质性兵力调整，背后隐藏多种图谋。

It aims to enhance coordination between inner and outer forces. According to foreign media reports, the adjustments of the US Marine Corps in Okinawa aim to trim down while strengthening capabilities. Under US military planning, the Marines stationed in Okinawa will serve as inner forces in future battlefield confrontations. They will be equipped with MQ-9A drones, AN/TPS-80 radars, new amphibious combat vehicles, and small unmanned surface vessels, forming "expeditionary advanced base" to conduct forward sea-control and blockade operations. The forces relocating to Guam will form the 4th Marine Littoral Regiment, which was previously part of the Marine Littoral Regiment in Hawaii, where it regularly undertook forward deployment missions. These forces will constitute the outer troops, operating in coordination with the Okinawa-based garrison.

推动内外线部队遥相呼应。有外媒称，美海军陆战队调整驻冲绳兵力意在“瘦身壮肌肉”。在美军规划中，驻冲绳海军陆战队将充当未来战场对抗中的“内线部队”，列装MQ-9A无人机、AN/TPS-80雷达和新型两栖战车及小型无人艇，构建“远征前进基地”以实施前沿制海封控作战。即将移防关岛的军队则将成立第4濒海作战团，其之前在夏威夷海军陆战队濒海团常态担负前出部署任务。上述力量将构成“外线部队”，与冲绳驻军遥相呼应。

It also aims to compete for a share of the new fiscal year defense budget. Some analysts pointed out that although US President Donald Trump has announced defense budget cuts, military spending allocated to the Indo-Pacific region remains high with a slight increase. Against this backdrop, the Marine Corps troop adjustment plan may also be an attempt to secure a share of the budget.

“分羹”新年度防卫预算。有分析指出，美国总统特朗普已宣布削减国防预算，投向亚太地区的军费却保持高位并小幅上涨，陆战队此时提出兵力调整计划，不排除“分羹”预算的图谋。

Coordinating multi-regional deployment

多地联动部署

Japan, Australia, and other countries have responded positively to US troop adjustments in the Indo-Pacific region. According to Japanese media, the restructuring of US Marine Corps forces in Okinawa is not a reduction in strength but rather a strategic shift aimed at reinforcing the US-Japan alliance as the central axis while extending influence over allied countries across the Indo-Pacific. This reflects a broader effort to consolidate camp confrontation.

日本、澳大利亚等国对美军亚太地区兵力调整进行积极回应。有日媒称，美军对驻冲绳海军陆战队的调整，不是力量的削弱，而是以美日同盟关系为主轴，联动辐射亚太方向盟友，实现阵营化布局的缩影。

Beyond Japan, the US is also adjusting its military presence in the ROK, the Philippines, Australia, and other countries. For instance, the US Air Force has redeployed F-22 and F-35 fighter jets across multiple locations in the Western Pacific. These actions are interconnected. They not only rely on the existing military presence to strengthen regional influence through mobility but also use troop deployments to bind allies to the same strategic objectives. Such moves are likely to introduce more uncertainty into regional security.

除日本外，美国还同步在韩国、菲律宾、澳大利亚等国展开驻军调整。如，美空军已在西太平洋多国重新部署F-22和F-35战斗机。系列举动相互关联，既依托现有兵力规模，通过流动性强化要域存在，又借驻军将盟友绑上“战车”，相关举动将为地区安全带来更多不确定性。