The goal, as reported by Newsweek, is to counter the growing threats from Russia, China and North Korea as best as possible.Namely, as stated, the movement of the aircraft will be seen in three locations in Japan: in the air bases of Kadena and Misawa and the marine corps in Iwakuni.The Air Force will withdraw 48 F-15C/D igl fighter jets, which have been in service for more than 30 years, from Kadena Air Base, and they will be replaced by 36 newer F-15EKS igl II aircraft, the Ministry of Defense announced, while maintain the rotational presence of fourth and fifth generation tactical aircraft.Kadena is otherwise the main US military hub on Okinawa, a southwestern Japanese island that forms part of the so-called first island chain. Because of its proximity to Taiwan, about 370 miles, Kadena is also called the "Keystone of the Pacific," an important stronghold for the projection of US air power into the Taiwan Strait.Japan hosts more than 50,000 active-duty US military personnel, about two-thirds in Okinawa, the most anywhere in the world outside of US territory.Despite Tokyo's strong support, their presence remains a sensitive issue. The US Air Force will also upgrade a base in northern Honshu, Japan's main island. The 36 F-16 Fighting Falcons at Misawa Air Base will be replaced by 48 F-35A Lining II, the fifth-generation stealth fighter.Misawa is located near the Tsugaru Strait, the main waterway connecting the Sea of Japan to the wider Pacific Ocean, which is frequently used by both Chinese and Russian naval vessels to conduct operations and exercises in the waters east of Japan.Stealth fighter jets are expected to be more capable of dealing with the threats posed by newer generations of enemy warships. Near the southwestern tip of Honshu, the Marine Corps will modify an unknown number of F-35B Lightning II fighter jets at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni as part of its modernization plan.The aircraft, designed for short take-off and vertical landing, or STOVL, is essential to the corps' expeditionary operations in the western Pacific.In the event of a conflict on the nearby Korean Peninsula, where Kim Jong Un's regime has continued a series of provocative missile tests, US units in Iwakuni could be among the first wave of "non-regional" support for their counterparts in South Korea.The F-35Bs would also support Japan's Self-Defense Forces in the East China Sea, where Tokyo and Beijing have maritime disputes.
4.7.2024.
13:11
Plan revealed; The Pentagon begins moving fighter jets
The Pentagon has unveiled plans for a major upgrade of its air force in Japan, with plans to deploy more advanced fighter jets to the front line.
Izvor: newsweek
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