A few days ago, through an official statement from the Department of Defense, it was confirmed that, in view of strengthening its deterrence and combat capabilities in the Indo-Pacific region, the United States Air Force (USAF) would in the future deploy its new F-15EX fighters in Japan, to replace the F-15C/D Eagle currently being withdrawn from Kadena Air Base. However, the announcement also indicated that other air units currently on Japanese soil would see their combat assets renewed. More in detail, it was mentioned that the F-16s stationed at Misawa Air Base will be replaced by the F-35A stealth fighters.
In its press release, released on July 3, along with the announcement of the deployment of the F-15EX in Japan, the Department of Defense stated: “The U.S. Air Force will also increase its presence at Misawa Air Base, moving from 36 F-16 aircraft to 48 F-35A aircraft, which will lead to greater capacity and tactical capability of aircraft.”
The news gains relevance in terms of the message of deterrence and potential degradation of regional adversaries’ capabilities, as a good number of the F-16s operating at the mentioned air base are of the version called F-16CM, which is a widely modified variant of the Fighting Falcon focused on conducting Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses missions (SEAD). This type of aircraft, focused on this specific function, usually receives within the U.S. military the designation of Wild Weasel.
Although the July 3 statement does not mention it, the replacement of the F-16CM with the new F-35A is a foreseeable step, keeping in mind the stealth capabilities of the fifth-generation fighter to potentially fulfill missions to suppress and destroy enemy radar and missile defense systems. One of these aspects is the future integration of new anti-radiation armaments such as the AGM-88G Advanced Anti-Radiation Guided Missile-Extend Range (AARGM-ER), as well as ground attack weapons like the future long-range Stand-In Attack Weapon (SiAW) missiles.
Additionally, it should be mentioned all the support and support structures that the F-35 already has in Japan, as the Self-Defense Forces are operators of the fifth-generation fighter in its F-35A variant and, looking to the future, with the incorporation of the F-35B that will operate from the Izumo-class strategic projection ships. Also in terms of joint action, the Marine Corps also maintains several of its F-35Bs stationed at Iwakuni Air Station operating in the region.
As for the fate of the F-16CM to be replaced in the future, it has not been mentioned what their fate will be, although it is highly likely that, like the Eagle, they will be withdrawn back to the United States or to other units where their presence and air defense suppression capabilities are required.
*Photographs used for illustration purposes.
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