Summary and Key Points: Defense analyst Kris Osborn evaluates the deployment of 48 F-35A Lightning IIs to Misawa Air Base, reinforcing the U.S.-Japan Alliance amid growing People’s Liberation Army (PLA) activity.
-This report analyzes the 35th Fighter Wing’s transition to 5th-generation readiness and the synergy between land-based F-35As and the JMSDF’s refitted mini-carrier, JS Kaga.
-Osborn explores the tactical use of MADL to link allied forces across the First Island Chain, concluding that the F-35’s stealth, sensor fusion, and 1,300-mile range provide a decisive edge against China’s J-20 and mobile air defenses.
The Misawa Surge: Why 48 Brand New F-35As in Japan are the Ultimate Warning to Beijing
48 new F-35A Lightning II stealth fighters will soon be based in Japan. And, clearly, the reason is China.
The location of those fighters is one the U.S. military is clearly familiar with. US forces first arrived at Japan’s Misawa Air Base in 1945 following the end of WWII, and have maintained a presence ever since, so it makes sense that the US would now be adding more F-35s to the area.
The tactical and strategic advantages are multifaceted, as the move not only puts more F-35s within reach to potentially defend Taiwan, but also positions 5th-generation attack air power to attack mainland China if needed, without necessarily requiring a non-stealthy tanker to extend range.
The F-35 can hit ranges up to 1,000 to 1,300 miles, so operating land-based F-35As from Japanese islands and coastal areas massively extends the “reach” of 5th-generation aircraft in the Pacific theater.
The advantages of Japan-based F-35s extend well beyond the clear value of proximity, including massive networking benefits.
The Japanese Self-Defense Forces have, in recent years, invested billions of dollars to acquire F-35 aircraft and now regularly operate Vertical Take-Off-and-Landing F-35Bs from amphibious ships and small mini-carriers in the Pacific.
Photographs of Japan’s mini-carriers were released by the JMSDF in 2024, showing a redesigned or refitted helicopter-carrying amphibious assault ship.
Called the “JS Kaga,” the newly configured amphibious carrier is designed to transport F-35s, troops, helicopters, and other power-projection and attack-enabling assets.
The vessel operates with a maximum displacement of 27,000 tons at full load and an 814-ft flight deck, a ship vastly smaller than US Navy carriers, which displace more than 100,000 tons.
US-Japanese F-35 Fighters
An F-35A Lightning II assigned to the 4th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron, deployed to Kadena Air Base, sit on the flight line during base-wide operational readiness exercise BH 26-1 at Kadena Air Base, Japan, Nov. 3, 2025. Kadena serves as a critical element in deterring potential adversaries through its demonstrated strength and commitment to regional security.
(U.S. Air Force photos by Senior Airman Jonathan Sifuentes)
U.S. Air Force crew chiefs perform post flight maintenance on an F-35A Lightning II after its first arrival in Ceiba, Puerto Rico, Dec. 20, 2025. U.S. military forces are deployed to the Caribbean in support of the U.S. Southern Command mission, Department of War-directed operations, and the president’s priorities to disrupt illicit drug trafficking and protect the homeland. (U.S. Air Force photo)
An F-35A Lightning II departs for a training mission at Savannah Air National Guard Base, Georgia, Feb. 14, 2023. The 60th Fighter Squadron and Aircraft Maintenance Unit traveled to Savannah to conduct off-station training while avoiding weather attrition. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Christian Corley)
Flying operational F-35Bs from Japanese ships has been in development for several years, as the US Marine Corps conducted a joint US-Japanese multinational exercise in which Marine Corps F-35Bs landed on Japanese warships.
This clearly seems to have been a precursor to what is happening now with Japan’s growing fleet of “mini-carriers.”
The ability to fortify a Japanese maritime force of F-35s with US Air Force F-35As could prove decisive in any potential engagement in the Pacific, as it could allow a greater ability to mass 5th-gen air power in large, impactful formations across a perimeter in the Pacific spanning from Japan to the Korean Peninsula all the way down through the Philippines and Australia.
This could, in effect, almost encircle the Chinese coastline with F-35s, or at least form a semi-circular extended air-boundary sphere from which to defend against or attack PLA air and ground forces.
Japan Mini-Carrier Advantage
This capacity is quite significant because the US and its Japanese allies could potentially operate with a decisive 5th-generation air advantage.
China operates the J-20, but it is a land-launched platform incapable of projecting power from the ocean; the J-20 may also be more vulnerable to F-35s and F-22s, depending on the range and fidelity of its sensors and the range and accuracy of its weapons systems.
A U.S. Air Force F-35 Lightning II taxis during a cross-servicing event at NATO Allied Air Command’s Ramstein Flag 2025 exercise April 4, 2025. Successful cross-servicing at RAFL25 is an example of the importance of integrated logistics and maintenance training that enhances U.S. warfighting readiness by strengthening United States Air Forces in Europe – Air Forces Africa’s ability to deploy, sustain, and project fifth-generation capabilities across the European theater. (Royal Netherlands photo by Sgt. Maj. Jan Dijkstra)
A new F-35A Lightning II fifth-generation fighter aircraft flies over the Alaska Canada Highway en route to its new home at the 354th Fighter Wing, Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska, April 21, 2020. The F-35 represents a new model of international cooperation, ensuring U.S. and Coalition partner security well into the 21st Century. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Tech. Sgt. Adam Keele)
Maj. Melanie “Mach” Kluesner, F-35A Demonstration Team Commander, pilots an F-35A Lightning II after completing aerial refueling en route to Base Aérea No. 1 de Santa Lucía, Mexico, for the 2025 Feria Aeroespacial México (FAMEX), April 22, 2025. The teams participation highlights the strength of the U.S.–Mexico defense relationship and demonstrates the global reach and readiness of U.S. Air Force fifth-generation airpower. (U.S. Air Force photo by Capt. Nathan Poblete)
Regardless, the US and its allies are increasingly in a position to deploy a large force of F-35s to counter or contain China from the air. This kind of tactical thinking is likely a significant reason why the Japanese MOD is both acquiring F-35s and building mini-carriers.
Given this threat scenario, it makes sense that the Japanese JMSDF and the US would be rapidly acquiring F-35Bs and F-35Cs for the region.
All F-35s operate with a secure, high-speed data link called the Multi-Function Advanced Data Link (MADL), which enables networking across all countries operating F-35s.
This enables a multinational, large-scale, semi-circle-like formation of F-35s involving the US Navy, South Korea, and even Australia and Singapore further south.
The additional bases being added in the Philippines might also provide an opportunity for the US and its allies to deploy F-35s there and “fill in” a gap in the semi-circle between Japan, Australia, and Singapore.
About the Author: Kris Osborn
Kris Osborn is the President of Warrior Maven – Center for Military Modernization. Osborn previously served at the Pentagon as a highly qualified expert in the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army—Acquisition, Logistics & Technology. Osborn has also worked as an anchor and on-air military specialist at national TV networks. He has appeared as a guest military expert on Fox News, MSNBC, The Military Channel, and The History Channel. He also has a Masters Degree in Comparative Literature from Columbia University.
