4 Key Points – Japan is accelerating its military modernization in the face of an “unprecedented” threat from China, with the first of its new F-35B “jump jets” arriving this week.
-These advanced stealth fighters, capable of short take-offs and vertical landings, will transform Japan’s helicopter destroyers into its first true aircraft carriers since WWII.
-However, the rollout is facing problems, as a dedicated training base for the jets is already years behind schedule.
-This is forcing the Air Force to rush pilot training at an ill-prepared base, sparking opposition from local residents.
Japan’s F-35B Crash Course
Japan is set to receive its first Short Take-Off and Vertical Landing (STOVL) F-35B Lightning II stealth fighters from the United States on August 7, marking a significant milestone in Tokyo’s ongoing efforts to bolster its maritime strike capability amid rising tensions with China.
Japan’s Ministry of Defense confirmed last week that four F-35Bs will arrive at Nyutabaru Air Base in Kyushu, its southernmost main island, where the jets will be based.
The aircraft will be flown in by American pilots who will later perform demonstration flights over the base in September. The demonstration flights are expected to mitigate opposition from residents who have expressed concerns over noise from vertical landings.
Why Japan Needs This Stealth Fighter
The deliveries are part of a broader plan for Japan to acquire 42 F-35Bs and 105 F-35A conventional take-off variants, giving it the largest F-35 fleet outside of the United States.
The F-35Bs will be assigned initially to a temporary Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF) unit as the aircraft are integrated into operations.
“Eight aircraft are scheduled to be delivered during fiscal year 2025, and the delivery date for the remaining four aircraft is still being adjusted,” the defense ministry confirmed.
The STOVL jets will be deployed aboard the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force’s Izumo-class helicopter destroyers, JS Izumo and JS Kaga, which are being converted into the nation’s first true aircraft carriers since World War II.
The aircraft are scheduled to embark with Izumo and Kaga in 2027 and 2028 respectively.
More Training on F-35B
British F-35Bs from the Royal Navy’s carrier HMS Prince of Wales are expected to operate from the Kaga later this year. The planned port visit is further evidence of efforts by the U.S. and allied forces to maximize interoperability as China rapidly expands its military capabilities and intensifies activity in the East China Sea.
On Tuesday, July 29, Japanese Defense Minister Gen Nakatani presented an annual defense white paper that pointed to China as Tokyo’s “greatest strategic challenge,” warning that Beijing’s military activities are an “unprecedented” problem for the country.
“China has been swiftly increasing its national defense expenditures, thereby extensively and rapidly enhancing its military capability in a qualitative and quantitative manner, and intensifying its activities in the East China Sea, including around the Senkaku Islands and the Pacific,” Nakatani said.
Tokyo has also begun work on a new facility on Mageshima Island, roughly 160 kilometers south of Nyutabaru, which will provide dedicated infrastructure for vertical landing training – signaling Japan’s intention to grow its fleet of vertical-landing aircraft. Planning and construction, however, have already experienced some delays, with the base expected to open two to three years later than the original target of 2027. It means JASDF crews will continue to use Nyutabaru for training, despite opposition from residents.
The defense ministry projects that as many as 100 vertical landings could occur on the base every month by 2029.
About the Author:
Jack Buckby is a British author, counter-extremism researcher, and journalist based in New York. Reporting on the U.K., Europe, and the U.S., he works to analyze and understand left-wing and right-wing radicalization, and reports on Western governments’ approaches to the pressing issues of today. His books and research papers explore these themes and propose pragmatic solutions to our increasingly polarized society. His latest book is The Truth Teller: RFK Jr. and the Case for a Post-Partisan Presidency.
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