Russia, China and North Korea in Crosshairs of U.S. Air Power Plan

The F-15EX, the U.S. Air Force’s newest fighter aircraft, arrives to Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, March 11, 2021.

The Pentagon on Wednesday revealed major upgrades to its air power in allied Japan, with plans to station more advanced fighter jets on the front line in a move to better counter evolving threats from Russia, China and North Korea.

Two U.S. military service branches will see aircraft movement at three locations in Japan: the Air Force bases of Kadena and Misawa, and the Marine Corps base in Iwakuni.

The Air Force will withdraw Kadena Air Base's 48 F-15C/D Eagle fighter aircraft that have been in service for over 30 years, replacing them with 36 newer F-15EX Eagle II jets, the Defense Department said, while maintain a rotational presence of fourth- and fifth-generation tactical aircraft.

Kadena is a major American military hub in Okinawa, a southwestern Japanese island that forms part of the so-called first island chain. Due to its proximity to Taiwan—around 370 miles—Kadena is also referred to as the "Keystone of the Pacific," an important stronghold for the U.S. air power projection to the Taiwan Strait.

Japan hosts more than 50,000 active-duty U.S. military personnel—around two-thirds in Okinawa—the most anywhere in the world outside of U.S. territory. Despite Tokyo's strong support, their presence remains a sensitive subject.

Hiroshi Toyama, mayor of Kadena, said on Wednesday that his office would monitor the plan's potential impact on the townspeople, especially noise pollution caused by American fighter jets, according to Japan's Kyodo News.

The F-15EX combines "state-of-the-art design and technology" to deliver next-generation capabilities, according to manufacturer Boeing. The fighter can carry 12 air-to-air missiles, whereas older versions of the F-15 held a maximum of eight. The additional firepower could be a huge advantage for the U.S. in aerial combat.

The Air Force will also upgrade a base in northern Honshu, Japan's main island. Misawa Air Base's 36 F-16 Fighting Falcons will be replaced by 48 F-35A Lightning IIs, fifth-generation stealth fighters. The War Zone, a defense news website, said F-35As would take over suppression and destruction of enemy air defense missions from the F-16s.

Misawa is located near the Tsugaru Strait, a major waterway connecting the Sea of Japan to the wider Pacific Ocean, which is frequently used by both the Chinese and Russian naval vessels to conduct operations and exercises in the waters east of Japan. Stealth fighter jets are expected to be more capable of handling threats posed by the newer generation of adversary warships.

Near the southwestern tip of Honshu, the Marine Corps will modify an unknown number of F-35B Lightning II fighter jets at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni as part of its modernization plan. The aircraft, designed for short take-off and vertical landing, or STOVL, is essential to Corps' expeditionary operations in the Western Pacific.

In the event of a conflict on the nearby Korean Peninsula, where Kim Jong Un's regime has continued a series of provocative missile tests, American units in Iwakuni could be among the first wave of "non-regional" support to their counterparts in South Korea.

The F-35Bs would also support Japan's Self-Defense Forces in East China Sea, where Tokyo and Beijing have maritime disputes.

The Pentagon said its modernization plan will involve investments of more than $10 billion, which will be implemented over the next several years and "enhance the U.S.-Japan Alliance, bolster regional deterrence, and strengthen peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region."

However, as tensions rise globally, including in the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, the Israel-Hamas war, and the Red Sea crisis, analysts say the United States could face difficulty in fulfilling its military commitments in multiple regions at the same time.

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