US Stealth Fighters: The U.S. Air Force will start sending F-35A Lightning II fighter jets to Misawa Air Base in northeast Japan in spring 2026. These advanced jets will replace 36 older F-16 Fighting Falcons. In total, 48 F-35A jets, designed for regular takeoffs and landings, will be stationed at the base.
The exact timeline was shared by Japan’s Tohoku Defense Bureau with the local government. The current F-16 jets are expected to start leaving Misawa in the summer of 2026. The base will be upgraded to support the new aircraft, but no changes in the number of personnel have been reported.
The F-16 squadrons at Misawa are trained for precision bombing to destroy enemy radar and missile launchers. These jets will be replaced as part of this transition to the more advanced F-35A.
U.S. Deploys F-35A Jets to Misawa Air Base
Misawa Air Base’s mission involves preparing for scenarios like crossing the Korean Demilitarized Zone to suppress North Korean air defenses in case of conflict. The base, shared with Japan’s Air Self-Defense Force, has housed Japanese F-35As since 2018. Now, the U.S. plans to deploy its F-35A jets to Misawa as part of a broader modernization effort in Japan.
This modernization includes replacing 36 F-15EX Eagles in Okinawa with 48 F-15C/Ds and introducing F-35C Lightning IIs to replace Navy F/A-18 Super Hornets at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni. The U.S. Department of Defense stated these upgrades reflect over $10 billion in investments to strengthen the U.S.-Japan Alliance and ensure peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region.
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In South Korea, the 7th Air Force is upgrading its F-16s with advanced avionics to enhance their capabilities, while retiring A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft. Their role will be taken over by F-35s, upgraded F-16s, and South Korean fighters. The Pentagon’s 2022 National Defense Strategy highlights China as a major challenge, focusing on its aggressive actions in the East and South China Seas.
“The Department’s plan to station the Joint Force’s most advanced tactical aircraft in Japan demonstrates the ironclad U.S. commitment to the defense of Japan and both countries’ shared vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific region,” the statement said according to Stars & Stripes.
