Japan is preparing for the arrival of the first F-35B Lightning II, which has a short takeoff and vertical landing
Japan has begun preparations for the arrival of the first fifth-generation F-35B Lightning II fighters.
In the fall of 2021, the US Marine Corps conducted the first-ever takeoff and landing test of the fifth-generation F-35B Lightning II fighter jets on the deck of the Japanese aircraft carrier JS Izumo. At that moment, for the first time since the days of the Imperial Navy, an airplane took off from a Japanese ship.
On the last day of the summer of 2023, the Ministry of Defense of the Land of the Rising Sun released its defense budget request for the upcoming fiscal year. The amount amounted to $52.9 billion, which was a record.
Japan has begun preparations for the arrival of the first batch of fifth-generation F-35B short takeoff and vertical landing fighters. Six planes will arrive in the Land of the Rising Sun at the end of next year.
The Air Self-Defense Forces will establish a temporary F-35B squadron at Nyutabaru Air Base under the command of the 5th Air Wing. In the future, the aircraft will be under the control of the Naval Self-Defense Forces.
The base received funding to build a new air operations center, hangar and supply warehouse. The government allocated $12 million, $10 million and $6.6 million, respectively. The current command center will go to an underground bunker.
The choice of the base was influenced by its location. The aircraft carrier JS Kaga is based nearby. The fighter jets will be able to quickly rendezvous with the ship in the Pacific Ocean at the exit of the Seto Inland Sea and go on a mission. In addition, there is a training ground for F-35B training nearby.
Japan is building another military base 140 kilometers to the southwest. It will be located on the island of Migishima. The contractors work seven days a week to complete the work within four years. In the first year, the focus was on the construction of administrative buildings, fuel depots and two runways.
Currently, only three countries have F-35B fighters: The United States, the United Kingdom, and Italy. Japan has ordered 42 fifth-generation F-35B aircraft. Three years ago, the United States approved a $20 billion sale, which also included 63 F-35A fighters.
