Stopping China in the Air: Pentagon Sends Dozens of F-15EXs and F-35s to Japan

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.