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Smart Bombs: Military, Defense and National Security

F-22 Raptor and F-15 Fighters are Training in China’s Backyard

F-22 Raptor
A U.S. Air Force F-22 Raptor assigned to the 3rd Wing takes off from Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, Nov 21., 2023. The F-22 Raptor is a critical component of the Global Strike Task Force, and is designed to project dominance rapidly and at a great distance to defeat threats. (U.S. Air Force photo by Alejandro Peña)

Key Points and Summary: The U.S. and Japan recently conducted joint air exercises near Okinawa, showcasing their military strength against increasing Chinese aggression.

-The drills included 32 Japanese aircraft, 24 F-15s, and U.S. Air Force F-22s, emphasizing the strategic importance of Okinawa in maintaining regional stability.

A-s tensions rise in the Indo-Pacific, the “Great Basin of Allies,” including Taiwan and the Philippines, strengthens deterrence against China.

-These drills highlight America’s commitment to defending its allies and maintaining a free and open Indo-Pacific.

F-22s and F-15s Over Okinawa: A Powerful Warning to China

China often intercepts U.S. and allied fighter jets and other airplanes flying in international airspace. The People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) also harasses U.S. Navy ships for no reason other than to intimidate.

Now, the United States and its allies are using “show of force” tactics to demonstrate that they can also bring the heat to China to display capabilities. 

This time, the Americans and Japanese exercised on January 22 and 24 around a critical island for Chinese eyes and ears. 

The mission was to use stealth fighter jets to take the initiative and bend the will of China. 

The allied nations believed it was time to stand against Chinese aggression in the Indo-Pacific.

More Details on the Drills

The exercises happened around Okinawa, southwest of the island. Okinawa is part of the Ryukyu Islands, which belong to Japan. 

This is a strategic zone of waters between the East China Sea and the Philippine Sea. Japan and the United States would need to control this area, and the skies over it should conflict with China arise.

Why Is Okinawa So Important?

Okinawa is a key outpost for American and Japanese defense strategy, operations, and tactics. This must always be controlled by friendly forces. 

Japan lies to the north, and Taiwan and the Philippines lie to the south. China wants nothing better than to dominate this region and curtail U.S. and allied activity.

Large Force of Aircraft 

The drills involved 32 Japanese aircraft, including 24 F-15s and helicopters. These fly out of Naha Air Base on Okinawa. These pilots are experienced because they must intercept Chinese aircraft that often fly in Okinawan air space. Japan has also created an Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) around its territory to establish sovereignty and to send a message to China that it will stand for no encroachment activity by airplanes from the Middle Kingdom. 

Meanwhile, the Americans deployed Air Force F-22s and Marine Corps V-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft. These can transport troops quickly and efficiently. 

The F-22s fly out of Kadena Air Base on Okinawa. This is the closest Air Force installation to Taiwan and would be a flashpoint for conflict if China tried to invade Taiwan. 

The Alliance Between the United States and Japan Is Ironclad

“The U.S.-Japan alliance is essential to the free world posture in the Pacific. In the mutual security treaty, the United States and Japan acknowledge that they have a shared stake in the security and peaceful progress of the Far East region, a U.S. military news release said.

Japan also lauded the partnership with the United States and maintained that the alliance leads to a stable region.

In 2023, the U.S. Department of Defense noted how many times the Chinese had encroached on U.S. and allied airplanes.

“Since the fall of 2021, we have seen more than 180 such incidents: More in the past two years than in the decade before that. That’s nearly 200 cases where PLA operators have performed reckless maneuvers, or discharged chaff, or shot off flares, or approached too rapidly or too close to U.S. aircraft,” said Ely Ratner, who was then assistant secretary of defense for Indo-Pacific security affairs.

An F-22 Raptor Demonstration Team pilot flies behind a KC-135 Stratotanker from the 465th Air Refueling Squadron assigned to Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma, March 8. 2021. The F-22 team from Joint Base Langley–Eustis, Virginia, is assigned to Air Combat Command and received fuel from the Okies during their flight back to their home station after performing at an air show. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Mary Begy)

An F-22 Raptor Demonstration Team pilot flies behind a KC-135 Stratotanker from the 465th Air Refueling Squadron assigned to Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma, March 8. 2021. The F-22 team from Joint Base Langley–Eustis, Virginia, is assigned to Air Combat Command and received fuel from the Okies during their flight back to their home station after performing at an air show. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Mary Begy)

Military exercises with allied partners are the best ways to prepare against more Chinese aggression. This sends a message that militaries friendly to the United States can also act with intensity and efficiency. 

Working with allies shows China that it is isolated without many friends in the Indo-Pacific. The relationship with Japan, Taiwan, and the Philippines will only strengthen as the partners conduct rehearsals with the United States.

The Great Basin of Allies

This forms what I have deemed the “Great Basin of Allies” in my latest book. The group of countries encompasses not only Northeast Asia but also Southeast Asia. This is to blunt China and deny them military access to areas deemed necessary. 

A Japan Air Self Defense Force F-15 (F-15DJ) in flight, as viewed from the boom operator position of a U.S. Air Force KC-135 from the 909th Air Refueling Squadron, Kadena Air Base, after being refueled during air refueling training July 30, 2009.

A Japan Air Self Defense Force F-15 (F-15DJ) in flight, as viewed from the boom operator position of a U.S. Air Force KC-135 from the 909th Air Refueling Squadron, Kadena Air Base, after being refueled during air refueling training July 30, 2009.

Singapore, Indonesia, Vietnam, and Malaysia are also significant in this strategy I devised, comprising “friends who walk along the path to military power” against China.

Singapore and Malaysia can work with the U.S. Navy and deny China access to the Strait of Malacca, a critical transit point for Chinese military shipping and international trade. If China were to embargo or block Taiwan, the United States could collaborate with Singapore and Malaysia to also block China and its ships from the Strait of Malacca. This means that the Americans and their allies can also conduct anti-access/ area-denial tactics against the Chinese and hurt Beijing economically.

Military exercises with American allies should be publicized (without giving up classified information) to prove that China cannot push around friendly forces. If China sees that the United States and its allies show that they will not be intimidated, this creates a level of deterrence that can help strategically, operationally, and tactically. This allows Xi Jinping and his military to read the message loud and clear.

About the Author: Dr. Brent M. Eastwood

Brent M. Eastwood, PhD, is the author of Don’t Turn Your Back On the World: a Conservative Foreign Policy and Humans, Machines, and Data: Future Trends in Warfare, plus two other books. Brent was the founder and CEO of a tech firm that predicted world events using artificial intelligence. He served as a legislative fellow for U.S. Senator Tim Scott and advised the senator on defense and foreign policy issues. He has taught at American University, George Washington University, and George Mason University. Brent is a former U.S. Army Infantry officer. He can be followed on X @BMEastwood.

Written By

Now serving as 1945s Defense and National Security Editor, Brent M. Eastwood, PhD, is the author of Humans, Machines, and Data: Future Trends in Warfare. He is an Emerging Threats expert and former U.S. Army Infantry officer.

1 Comment

1 Comment

  1. waco

    January 29, 2025 at 11:31 am

    F-22 & f-15 are ancient fighters. F-15 first flew in seventies followed by f-22 in the eighties.

    Today, china has new fighters that can fire mach 6 missiles that can bring down b-21 invisible aircraft.

    Those mach 6 missiles are AI-controlled, meaning the missiles can exchange or relay targeting data among themselves without pilot intervention.

    That shows just how ancient USAF fighters have become today.

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