By Jim Morris Warrior Vice President, News
The Air Force is taking the next step in a plan to upgrade its fighter presence in Japan at a time when China is building up its military strength.
Last week, the Pentagon said it would send 36 F-15EX fighter jets to Kadena Air Base on Okinawa. They will replace 48 F-15C and D models that have been based there for years. Meanwhile, 48 F-35A fighters are being sent to Misawa Air Base in northern Japan, replacing 36 F-16s that are stationed there.
And the Pentagon will “modify” the number of F-35B jets stationed at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, although there’s no word yet on what that means.
Originally, the plan had been to replace F-15C and D planes and the F-16 with the F-22A Raptors. But the number of Raptors being purchased was slashed from 750 to 187, ad that required the F-15C and D to stay in service part the planned retirement date of 2019.
It’s not certain when the F-15EXs will arrive. The plane is likely to enter service later this year, and the Defense Department said in a release that the modernization effort “will be implemented over the next several years.
The F-15EX is a multi-role strike aircraft that can carry more ordinance than any other US fighter – earning it the nickname of “bomb truck.” It’s also been described as a “fourth-generation-plus” fighter, equipped with a new suite of electronic warfare devices, active electronically scanned array radar, high-speed computer processing and an ability to fire new generations of weapons.
Former Commanding Gen. Army Futures Command, Ret. Gen. John Murray Talks to Warrior
There have been questions about the wisdom of building a new, non-stealthy aircraft. But developers say there is still a need for a highly capable fighter able to pick up high-risk missions that don’t necessarily need a fifth- or sixth-generation plane.
Plus, there is the concept that the F-15EX could act as a “weapons truck”, following fifth-gen aircraft once those planes have established air superiority.
The Pentagon says that adding the F-15EX and F-35s to its bases in Japan “reflects over $10 billon of capability investments to enhance the US-Japan Alliance, bolster regional deterrence, and strengthen peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region.”
The US presence on Okinawa is seen as a crucial part of defense plans regarding Taiwan. Kadena Air Base – the largest USAF base in the Indo-Pacific – is less than 400 miles from the Taiwan Strait, the body of water that separates the island from mainland China.
The Chinese have been beefing up their air force. Beijing has been surprisingly open about discussing its new fifth-generation fighter, the FC-31Gyrfalcon. The plane is often compared with the F-35, a comparison that is sometimes followed by accusations that China stole the technology. China Launches Names FC-31 Carrier-Launched 5th-Gen Stealth Jet to Rival US Navy F-35C – Warrior Maven: Center for Military Modernization
There’s no question that the FC-31 closely resembles the F-35. Still, the plane exists now only in prototype form. And just what the plane is capable of remains an unanswered question.
