Japan plans to field a second F-35B squadron by the end of the decade, according to a Japan Ministry of Defense (MOD) document reviewed by USNI News.
The MoD is now readjusting its training plan for its F-35B fleet owing to a three-year delay in the completion of an air base on the island of Mageshima that is planned to serve as the main training facility for the fleet.
Last week, the Kyushu Defense Bureau of Japan’s Ministry of Defense (MOD) issued a public explainer on the adjustment of the training plan. The Japan MOD’s regional bureaus normally issue public explainers on military activities that would affect residents.
A table detailing the number of planned monthly vertical landing training sessions to be carried out at Nyutabaru Air Base, Kyushu, showed a second F-35B squadron is to be formed there by Fiscal Year 2029. The addition would put around 30 F-35Bs at the air base. Currently Japan plans to establish a temporary F-35B squadron at Nyutabaru by the end of March as it awaits delivery of the first batch of six aircraft from a planned 42 aircraft buy.
While the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force has a fleet air wing of fixed and rotary wing aircraft, the Japan Air Self-Defense Force, which already operates the F-35A, will operate the F-35Bs. Japan’s F-35 program is for 105 F-35As and 42 F-35Bs.
Eight F-35Bs will be operational in FY2025, growing to 30 F-35Bs with a second squadron by FY2029 and by FY2031, the fleet will comprise of 40 F-35Bs according to the table.
The initial plan was for F-35Bs to be stationed at Nyutabaru Air Base on the main island of Kyushu with no vertical landings, except in emergencies. However, a review revealed that the air base on Mageshima would not be completed until the end of FY2029. Consequently, because training could not take place at Mageshima as planned, the Ministry of Defense revised their decision and chose to conduct vertical landing training at Nyutabaru Air Base instead.
The island of Mageshima is an uninhabited island (previously inhabited but abandoned by residents by 1980) lying around 24 miles south of the main island of Kyushu. The Japanese government purchased the island from a Japanese company in 2019 for the purpose of constructing a JASDF air base that would serve as a base for U.S. Navy and Marine Corps aircraft to conduct field carrier landing practice there instead of the current location of Iwo Jima and the JASDF’s F-35Bs to conduct training there along with also serving as an operational base for the defence of Japan’s southwest islands.
Construction began in January 2023 and was expected to be completed in 2027 but last year in September, the MOD announced that completion of the base was now expected to be completed by the end of March 2030. The delay in completion has been caused by delays and shortages of material, along with a shortage of labour.
In a Friday press conference, Japan Defense Minister Gen Nakatani said the MOD had conveyed its intentions to local government via the Kyushu Defense Bureau on Wednesday and planned to hold explanatory meetings with residents. Many of Japan’s military facilities and activities are near populated areas and the execution of such has been always a controversial issue with segments of the Japanese population and as such, the MOD’s regional defense bureaus regularly issues documents and holds meeting to explain and inform local governments and the public.
In the case of Nyutabaru’s F-35B training, the issue concerning local residents is the noise coming from such training, the explainer document stated that vertical landings noise would last for three minutes and based on a 2013 U.S. study, the maximum noise level was 130 decibels at a point about 75m from the landing point and 110 decibels at a point about 300m away.
The document stated that there were four types of vertical landing training, for Japan’s F-35Bs, namely, for safe landing in an emergency (for aircraft type conversion and skill maintenance), for landing in an emergency, for landing on a non-ship surface and finally simulated ship landing training. The first three types of training will be carried out at Nyutabaru while the fourth will only be carried out at Mageshima, as a mock ship launch and landing training facility is required and that will only be built on Mageshima.
Meanwhile, other arms of the Japanese military are familiarizing themselves with F-35B operations, with the leadership of Japan’s Amphibious Rapid Deployment Brigade (ARDB), observing flight operations from amphibious assault ship USS America (LHA-6) as part of a visit to the America Amphibious Ready Group and the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit.
“The America Amphibious Ready Group (AMAARG) and 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (31st MEU) hosted the commanding officers of the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Amphibious Rapid Deployment Regiments of the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force from Feb. 3-6 in a demonstration of the wholesale effort to combine efforts of deterrence in the first island chain,” reads a Friday release.
U.S. and Japanese commanders held a series of briefings, discussions and planning events to improve operations between the U.S. ARG/MEU and the Japanese ARDB regiments.
The visit is part of a broader effort by the U.S. Marine Corps, U.S. Navy, Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF) and JMSDF to enhance their military cooperation.
“Having all three Amphibious Rapid Deployment Regimental commanders here at the same time is a clear signal from the Japanese how seriously they take their relationship with the 31st MEU and III MEF. Its clear to me, they take it as seriously as we do,” said Col. Chris Niedziocha, commanding officer of the 31st MEU in a statement.
“This is the first time something like this has happened. The AMAARG/ 31st MEU team is a significant portion of INDOPACOM’s ready now combat power. When we work this closely with our Japanese counterparts, we send a clear message to potential aggressors that coercive or destabilizing behavior in the region will not be tolerated.”
