Two USAF F-35 Lightning II Aircraft Gets Permanent Base In Japan

The US Air Force has transferred two Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 121 F-35Bs Lightning II aircraft on January 18 to its air station in Iwakuni, Japan, marking the first permanent international deployment of the joint strike fighter.

"The arrival of the F-35B embodies our commitment to the defense of Japan and the regional security of the Pacific,” Maj. Gen. Russell Sanborn, the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing commanding general said in an official press release. “We are bringing the most advanced technology to the Pacific to respond to the wide range of missions we take part in and provide greater support to our regional allies”.

Four KC-10 Extenders from Travis Air Force Base, California, and Joint Base McGuire Dix Lakehurst, New Jersey, participated in the operation.