Alwaght- Japan has commissioned the first of its new US-made F-35A stealth warplanes at a military base in the north of the country amid ongoing regional tension over North Korea's missile testing.
Sources say the Air Self Defence Force (ASDF) plans to add another nine of the radar-evading planes to its fleet from April. “The deployment of the high-performance F-35 aircraft is significant for Japan’s security at a time when neighboring countries have been quickly building up their air force capabilities in recent years,” said Itsunori Onodera, Japanese Minister of Defense.
The ASDF aims to eventually acquire a total of 42 F-35As, which are known for their ability to evade detection by radar. Manufactured by Lockheed Martin Corp, F-35A jet is Japan’s successor to the ageing F-4 fighter.
But Onodera said: “The introduction of the missiles is not aimed at targeting enemy military bases. We rely on US strike capabilities for attacking enemy bases and this will remain unchanged.”
Japan has earmarked funds for purchasing long-range JSM missiles, capable of striking enemy bases, to be mounted on the F-35A air fleet.
The move to deploy the jet to the Misawa Air Base in the Aurora Prefecture comes amid increased tensions in the region following North Korea’s latest series of nuclear and ballistic missile tests.
Neighboring South Korea also plans to buy an additional 20 F-35A aircraft from the US. This follows the country’s previous purchase of 40 stealth jets from Lockheed Martin in 2014.
Both South Korea and Japan are staunch US allies in the region and all are opposed to North Korea.
The tensions on the Korean Peninsula have worsened over the last year after increased provocations by the US which include military drills with its regional allies and deployment of warships and submarines in the region.
Pyongyang insists that developing its military defenses including nuclear weapons is important to counter incessant provocations by the US including a possible nuclear aggression.