Japan is planning to buy 105 Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II fighter jets, as well as 42 F-35Bs. According to Sputnik news agency, the Japanese Air Force is planning to deploy four F-35A Lightning IIs at the Komatsu air base in the Ishikawa prefecture in 2025, Chief Cabinet Secretary Katsunobu Kato said. The number of planes may later increase to 20.

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Japan is planning to buy 105 Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II fighter jets, as well as 42 F-35Bs (Picture source: Lockheed Martin)

The Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF) carries out combat air patrols around Japan, while also maintaining a network of ground and air early-warning radar systems. The JASDF operates about 740 aircraft, approximately 330 of them being fighter aircraft. The 6th Air Wing at Komatsu Air Base with its 303 and 306 Sqn operates 40 F-15J/DJ fighters and T-4 aircraft. The F-15s will later be partially replaced with F-35As.

As early as 2023, the service's name will change to the Japan Air and Space Self-Defense Force in recognition of the increasing importance of the space domain.