Japan's first F-35
deployed at Misawa Air Base
Japan Air
Self Defense Force
Japan has deployed its first operational F-34 stealth
fighter to the Misawa Air Base.
The development comes as China is becoming increasingly
bold in the East China Sea and around disputed
territory.
The F-35 will replace Japan's aging F-4s, and will
become an essential part of their future air defenses.
Just before the end of January, the Japanese Air Self Defense
Force (JASDF) announced
that it had deployed its first operational F-35 at Misawa Air
Base.
Misawa Air Base is shared by the JASDF and the US Air Force, and
located in the northern most part of Japan's Aomori Prefecture.
"The F-35A will bring transformation in air defence power and
significantly contribute to the peace for citizens and ensure
security," JASDF 3rd Air Wing commander major general Kenichi
Samejima said.
"All service members will do their best to secure flight safety
and promptly establish an operational squadron structure
step-by-step."
American officials at the base also welcomed the development,
with the commander of the US's 35th Fighter
Wing, Colonel R. Scott Jobe, saying
that US pilots "look forward to training alongside our JASDF
counterparts and continuing to enhance the safety and security of
Japan together."
The F-35 will be the most advanced fighter jet in the JASDF
arsenal. Nine more F-35s are planned to be deployed by the end of
the 2018 fiscal year.
In all, Japan intends to field at least 42 F-35s over the next
few years. The first four F-35s were made in the US, and the
remaining 38 will be assembled by Mitsubishi Heavy
Industries in Japan.
Despite some
controversies like cost overruns and the issue that no
Japanese-made parts will be in the future jets, the F-35 is seen
as essential for the JASDF in countering an
increasingly capable and aggressive China.
Japan has reportedly been mulling
replacing the helicopters on
their Izumo-class helicopter carrier with the
short vertical take-off and landing (SVTOL) variant of the
F-35 that is fielded by the US Marine Corps, something that
China has warned against.
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