The United States will send its latest combat aircraft to Japan as part of a $10 billion plan to enhance American capabilities in the Asian country, the US Department of Defense has announced. The Pentagon’s statement says this endeavor will be carried out over “the next few years” to “advance the Alliance, enhance deterrence capabilities in the region, and strengthen peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region.”
The modernization plan includes replacing 36 F-16 aircraft with 48 fifth-generation F-35A jets at Misawa Air Base in northern Japan, while 36 new F-15EX fighters will be stationed at Kadena Air Base on the southern island of Okinawa, replacing 48 F-15C/D aircraft that were withdrawn from the region last year, according to the Pentagon’s announcement. Although specific details were not provided, the Pentagon announced that F-35B aircraft will also be sent to a base in Hiroshima, CNN reports.
“The Department’s plan to deploy the most advanced tactical aircraft of the Joint Force in Japan demonstrates the unwavering American commitment to Japan’s defense and the shared vision of both countries for a free and open Indo-Pacific region,” the press release states.
Japan appreciates that the new American aircraft will strengthen US capabilities in the island nation. Japan’s alliance with the US is becoming increasingly important in a region where Japan is striving to neutralize rising threats from China, Russia, and North Korea. Japan has territorial disputes in the north with Russia and China over the East China Sea islands. Meanwhile, North Korea’s escalating missile program, which has launched missiles over Japanese territory in recent years, has prompted responses from Tokyo after each missile test by the communist state.
Source: Kallxo.com
