The U.S. Defense Department said Wednesday it will deploy 48 F-35A stealth fighters to Misawa Air Base in Japan's northeastern prefecture of Aomori for the first time, in an effort to bolster regional deterrence with its key ally.
The F-35As, known as fifth-generation fighters capable of evading radar detection, will replace 36 F-16 aircraft, it said, adding that the U.S. military will upgrade its capability at Kadena Air Base in Japan's southern prefecture of Okinawa by deploying 36 new F-15 fighters to replace 48 retiring F-15s.
Amid security challenges posed by China, North Korea and Russia, the Pentagon said the modernization of U.S. tactical aircraft will be carried out over the next several years in close coordination with the Japanese government.
The move is part of efforts to further strengthen the U.S.-Japan alliance and bolster stability in the Indo-Pacific region, the department said.
Japan deployed F-35As to Misawa for the first time in 2018 to respond to airspace incursions and engage in surveillance activities on North Korea.
Without elaborating, the Pentagon also said the U.S. Marine Corps plans to change the number of F-35s at its base in Iwakuni, Yamaguchi Prefecture.
