Recently, the Kadena Air Base in Okinawa, Japan, has been the military hub for the United States in the Western Pacific. This base has carried out a series of exercises to prepare for potential long-range missile attacks from China. At the same time, the US military has deployed a new batch of F-35B stealth fighters to Japanese air bases to counter the increasing military threats posed by China in the Indo-Pacific region.
The Hudson Institute’s think tank has urged the United States to strengthen military airfields within the range of Chinese missiles to maintain air superiority in potential conflicts, as China could launch surprise attacks to destroy U.S. aircraft on the ground.
From May 6 to 9, the Kadena Air Base conducted routine readiness exercises. Technicians at the Kadena base practiced rapid recovery techniques for “airport damage” by simulating repairs of areas destroyed by ammunition.
Several F-35A stealth fighter jets also participated in the readiness exercise, taking off from the Camp Schwab Marine Corps Air Station, also located in Okinawa. The purpose of this deployment was to test the squadron’s ability to rapidly deploy fighter jets from harsh locations and to practice air projection from multiple bases.
According to the U.S. Air Force’s concept of “agile combat deployment,” dispersing combat airpower, such as fighter jets, in different bases will make it more complex and difficult for enemy missile strikes, protecting valuable fighter jets in future conflicts.
Additionally, F-35B fighter jets from the United States Marine Corps have been deployed at Iwakuni Air Station on the main island of Japan. Currently, four F-35B fighter jet squadrons are stationed there. The newly deployed F-35B jets come from the Yuma Marine Corps Air Station. These fighter jets arrived in Japan under the “unit deployment plan” to provide combat experience in the Indo-Pacific region for units based in the United States.
The F-35 series of fighter jets, developed by Lockheed Martin, are fifth-generation stealth multi-role fighters with updated stealth capabilities, enhanced situational awareness, and reduced vulnerability.
The three main models – F-35A, F-35B, and F-35C – differ primarily in their design purposes and operational environments: F-35A requires a conventional runway, F-35B is capable of vertical takeoff and landing, and F-35C is suitable for carrier-based operations.