Japan to Deploy F-35B Fighter Jets in Miyazaki Prefecture Near East China Sea

"Optimal Location for Frigate Embarkation Training and Joint Exercises with U.S. Forces"

[Asia Economy Reporter Yu Je-hoon] Japan is reported to deploy the latest stealth fighter, the F-35B, to Miyazaki Prefecture in Kyushu, adjacent to the East China Sea.

According to the Yomiuri Shimbun on the 4th, the Japan Air Self-Defense Force has decided to assign the F-35B to the Nyutabaru Air Base located in Shintomi Town, Miyazaki Prefecture. The F-35B is a state-of-the-art 5th generation fighter capable of short runway takeoff and vertical landing.

This will be the first time the F-35B is deployed to a Japan Air Self-Defense Force base, and the Air Self-Defense Force plans to begin coordination with local governments and aims to start operating the fighter jets in 2024, the Yomiuri Shimbun reported.

The Japan Air Self-Defense Force is considering training aboard the escort ship "Kaga," based at Kure Port in Hiroshima Prefecture, joint exercises with F-35s deployed at the US Marine Corps Iwakuni Base, and takeoff and landing training with the Self-Defense Force base in Kagoshima Prefecture. The Nyutabaru base is geographically adjacent to these bases and is considered optimal as a deployment location.

Japan cites the power disparity with the Chinese People's Liberation Army as the reason for the large-scale deployment of the F-35B. According to the Yomiuri Shimbun, China has 1,080 4th and 5th generation fighters, which is 3.5 times the number Japan possesses.