Japan will deploy F-35A stealth fighter jets at a third air base starting in fiscal year 2030, expanding its advanced air combat capabilities amid what Tokyo describes as intensifying military activities by neighboring countries.
Chitose Air Base on the northern island of Hokkaido, near Russia, will receive 20 F-35A jets beginning with an initial group of eight aircraft in 2030, according to a Defense Ministry document released on Dec. 10.
The deployment comes as Japan, the largest foreign operator of F-35 jets with 105 F-35As and 42 F-35Bs, seeks to counter what it calls “the most severe and complex security environment of the post-war era,” citing threats from Russia, China and North Korea.
RESPONSE TO REGIONAL AIR POWER MODERNIZATION
“Countries surrounding Japan are rapidly modernizing their air forces by introducing new aircraft, including fighter jets believed to have stealth capabilities, and upgrading existing models,” the Defense Ministry document said. Both Russia and China operate stealth fighter jets.
One of Chitose Air Base’s two F-15 jet units, either the 201st or 203rd Tactical Fighter Squadron, will transition to the F-35A platform. The deployment aims to strengthen Japan’s ability to respond to foreign military aircraft approaching its airspace, the ministry said.
The move follows recent joint military patrols by Russia and China near Japan, including a Dec. 9 operation involving bomber aircraft. The two countries have conducted exercises in the western Pacific under what they describe as a “partnership without limitations” to counter the U.S.-Japan alliance.
FIFTH F-35A SQUADRON
The Hokkaido deployment will mark Japan’s fifth F-35A squadron. The aircraft currently operate from Misawa Air Base and Komatsu Air Base on the main island of Honshu. Misawa hosts the 301st and 302nd Tactical Fighter Squadrons, while Komatsu’s 303rd Tactical Fighter Squadron is replacing F-15 jets with F-35As.
The Defense Ministry said Chitose Air Base was selected due to existing infrastructure for operations, sufficient land for deployment and available airspace for training.
“The ministry of defense and the Self-Defense Forces intend to steadily introduce F-35A fighter jets, which possess high network capabilities and stealth performance, in order to further refine and strengthen the quality and quantity of Japan’s air power,” the ministry document said.
Japan’s F-35B jets, which operate from shorter runways and naval vessels, are temporarily deployed at Nyutabaru Air Base on the southern island of Kyushu. The Defense Ministry plans to establish a permanent F-35B unit as the 202nd Tactical Fighter Squadron, according to military aviation website The Aviationist, though squadron designations remain subject to change as defense planning evolves.
Japan’s total F-35 fleet figures may shift as aircraft deliveries and retirements progress.
The Russian Defense Ministry said its joint patrols with China were “carried out as part of implementing the military cooperation plan for 2025 and is not directed against third countries.”
Guo Jiakun, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson, said the joint operations “showcases the two sides’ determination and capability in jointly responding to regional security challenges and keeping the region peaceful and stable.”
