Japan’s Fleet of F-35 Fighter Jets Is Growing. So Are Its Military Bases. |
Eighty years ago, following its defeat in World War II, Japan was in ruins. Its most capable warships, notably its super battleships and most of its aircraft carriers, were at the bottom of the ocean. Its cities were destroyed—two by nuclear bombs, the only time such weapons of mass destruction have ever been employed in an armed conflict. Tokyo’s efforts to engage in an offensive war for territorial gain and regional influence brought the nation perilously close to annihilation.
After the war, Japanese society underwent a sea change. Its postwar constitution emphasized pacifism and renounced the right to declare war, and Japan significantly reduced its military capabilities. The goal was to ensure that the Land of the Rising Sun would never again be a significant military power.
In the decades that followed, Japan emerged as an industrial powerhouse and became a respected friend and ally of the United States and the West. As its economic and political clout grew, it also gradually began to rebuild its military strength. Today, Tokyo is becoming one of the nations preparing to stand up to Chinese aggression—resembling in some respects its efforts to expand its power that began a century ago.
Japan is the largest operator of the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II fifth-generation stealth fighter. There are currently 105 F-35As, the conventional takeoff and landing (CTOL) variants, and 42 F-35Bs, the short takeoff and vertical landing (STOVL) models now in service.
Three squadrons operate the F-35A at Misawa and Komatsu air bases, and as additional aircraft are received, each base will host two squadrons.
This month, the Japanese Ministry of Defense (MoD) announced that it has plans to base another Lightning II squadron at Chitose Air Base in Hokkaido. That base was........