F-35A Lightning II multirole fighters of the fifth generation have landed at the Kadena air base in Japan. They will temporarily replace obsolete F-15 Eagle aircraft.

What is known

In February, the 355th Fighter Squadron of the 18th Wing became fully operational. F-35A Lightning II fighter jets based at Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska, arrived on the Japanese island of Okinawa this week.

US Air Force Fall 2022 officially announcedthat the F-15 Eagle, which was based on the island of Okinawa, will retire after 43 years of flying. A month later was launched aircraft decommissioning process. It will last for two years.

In November, at the Kadena base began to arrive F-22 Raptor fifth generation fighters. Also US Air Force are considering deployment in Japan of unmanned aerial vehicles X-58A Valkyrie.

The 18th Aviation Wing declined to say how many F-35A Lighting II fighters arrived in Japan. The local newspaper Okinawa Times, citing anonymous sources, wrote that 12 fifth-generation aircraft had landed at the base.

According to 18th Wing spokesman 1st Lieutenant Robert Dabbs, the F-35A deployment to Japan is temporary. The aircraft will provide a permanent fighter capability in the region. In addition, Dubbs noted that the US Air Force has not yet decided on a permanent replacement for the F-15.

Source: Stars and Stripes