Japan completes deployment of 8 F-35B aircraft this fiscal year
The Japan Air Self-Defense Force has completed the deployment of 8 latest F-35B fighter jets planned for this fiscal year (ending March 31), and all of them have been deployed at the new Tanegashima Air Base in Miyazaki Prefecture.
According to the base management department, the F-35B deployment ceremony was held at Tanegashima Air Base on February 7. At the ceremony, Chief of Staff of the Air Self-Defense Force, Masahiro Morita, said that the F-35B has short takeoff and vertical landing capabilities, bringing "new strength" to the Self-Defense Forces, and that establishing the operational system of the aircraft as soon as possible "will help enhance Japan's defense capabilities."
The day before, the base received another 3 of these aircraft, increasing the total number of F-35B to 8. Since August last year, the first 5 F-35B had already been gradually allocated to Tanegashima Base. This marked the first formal deployment of the F-35B within the Japanese Self-Defense Forces.
In the future, Japan plans to increase the number of F-35B fighter jets deployed at Tanegashima Air Base to 42.
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1856990983813260/
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