Japan to Receive first F-35B Fighters in Early August
MELBOURNE – Japan is set to welcome its initial contingent of Lockheed-Martin F-35B Lightning II fifth-generation fighters from the United States in early August, the country’s defense ministry announced. The Kyushu Defense Bureau, responsible for the southernmost of Japan’s four main islands where the aircraft will be stationed, confirmed that four F-35Bs are scheduled to arrive at Nyutabaru Airbase on August 7.
These initial F-35Bs will be flown by American pilots, who will also conduct a demonstration flight over Nyutabaru in September. this demonstration aims to address local residents’ concerns regarding aircraft noise, particularly during vertical landing operations.
Japan has previously stated its intention to receive a total of eight F-35Bs at Nyutabaru during fiscal year 2025, which concludes on March 31, 2026. These aircraft will be assigned to the JASDF‘s Temporary F-35B Unit, established to manage the integration and deployment of these new assets.
as a key US ally, Japan has placed orders for the largest number of F-35s outside of the United States, with plans to acquire 157 aircraft in total. This order comprises 105 F-35A Conventional take Off and Landing (CTOL) variants and 42 F-35B Short Take Off and Vertical Landing (STOVL) variants. The F-35A models are currently being assembled domestically at Mitsubishi Heavy Industries’ Final Assembly and Check Out (FACO) facility in Nagoya. Japan also began transitioning its third JASDF squadron to the F-35A in april.
the JASDF’s F-35Bs are slated to operate from the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force helicopter destroyers Izumo and Kaga, both of which are undergoing retrofitting to accommodate these advanced aircraft.
In parallel, Japan is developing a new airbase on Mageshima, an island located 160 kilometers south of Nyutabaru. This facility will be equipped with the necessary infrastructure to support F-35B vertical landings,including training for shipboard operations. This development was intended to alleviate the need for routine vertical landing training at the home base. Though, the opening of the Mageshima base, originally planned for 2027, has been postponed to sometime between 2029 and 2030. Consequently, the JASDF will continue to conduct routine vertical landing training at Nyutabaru until the new base becomes operational.This situation has reportedly caused concern among residents who are wary of increased aircraft noise.
Japan anticipates having 40 F-35Bs in its inventory by the time the Mageshima base is ready for aircraft operations. Ministry projections indicate that Nyutabaru could see approximately 100 vertical landings per month in 2029,with 40 of these occurring at night.
