The deployment of cutting-edge F-35A stealth fighters at the U.S. military's Misawa base in Aomori Prefecture will start in the spring of 2026, Tohoku Defense Bureau officials and others said Monday.
Earlier this month, the bureau told related local governments, including the city government of Misawa and the prefectural government of Aomori, that the number of F-16 fighter jets at the base will be gradually reduced from summer 2025 and the first F-35A will be deployed in spring 2026. It also said that a certain number of facilities, including hangars for fighter jets, will need to be renovated or rebuilt at the Misawa base.
With hegemonic moves by China seen intensifying, the U.S. Department of Defense plans to spend about $10 billion (¥1.55 trillion) to upgrade its fighter jets deployed in Japan over several years to strengthen deterrence in the Indo-Pacific region. At the Misawa base, it will replace 36 F-16 fighter jets with 48 F-35A jets.
The runway at the Misawa base is jointly used by the U.S. military, Japan's Air Self-Defense Force and private airlines. The ASDF has deployed 39 F-35A jets and plans to have a total of 42 such aircraft by the end of fiscal 2024.
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