Di 35th Fighter Wing don officially welcome F-35A Lightning II stealth fighter for Misawa Air Base for Japan. Di ribbon-cutting ceremony wey happen for April 24, 2026, mark di first time Pacific Air Forces base for Western Pacific dey get dis fifth-generation aircraft.
Di 35th Operations Group first receive di jet for March 28, 2026. Dis one na part of bigger plan to change di 13th and 14th Fighter Squadrons from F-16 Fighting Falcon to F-35. Di ceremony bring senior military leaders, diplomats, and Japanese officials together.
US Air Force Col. Paul Davidson, 35 FW commander, talk say di new platform strengthen di partnership between United States and Japan. Davidson note say Misawa strength don always come from di bond between di two nations.
Di conversion na result of force posture adjustment wey take ten years to develop. Di F-35A na multirole stealth fighter wey get advanced sensors and situational awareness. E get sensor fusion, stealth profile, and network-centric design wey give advantages for lethality and survivability.
Political Minister-Counselor Christopher Allison highlight say Misawa get unique distinction. US Air Force and Japan Air Self-Defense Force F-35As dey operate side by side. Allison say Japan don commit to buy 147 F-35 aircraft, wey reaffirm di 74-year bilateral alliance.
Lt. Gen. Joel Carey, 5th Air Force commander, assess say F-35A arrival na exponential leap for warfighting capability. E talk say pilots and allies wey dey fly same platform, train on same systems, and develop tactics together create seamless and formidable defensive shield.
Di 5th Air Force na USAF longest-serving numbered air force, wey establish for Western Pacific for September 1941. Over 85 years, 5 AF airmen don operate more than 30 fighter, bomber, and attack aircraft types, including B-17 Flying Fortress, P-38 Lightning, F-86 Sabre, F-4 Phantom II, and F-15 Eagle.
Di ceremony get attendance from Honorable Makoto Sasaki, Misawa City vice mayor; Lt. Gen. Hidetada Inatsuki, JASDF Air Defense Command commander; Lt. Gen. Keita Funakura, JASDF Northern Air Defense Force commander; and General Gary North, USAF (Retired), Lockheed Martin vice president and former Pacific Air Forces commander.
Di presence of fifth-generation aircraft for Misawa confirm United States commitment to defense of Japan. Di transition na part of broader modernization effort wey DAF first announce for July 2024, wey aim to deter adversary aggression and strengthen joint and multinational forces across Indo-Pacific.
Davidson close di ceremony by invoking Wild Weasel legacy of 35th Fighter Wing. E say F-35A represent future of airpower and strength of alliance. E affirm di wing standard: “First in, last out.”
Do you have a news tip for NNN? Please email us at editor @ nnn.ng
