Defense Minister Inspects F35 Fighter at Misawa Base

March 16, 2020

Misawa, Aomori Pref.- Japanese Defense Minister Taro Kono inspected on Sunday an F35-A stealth fighter jet deployed at the Air Self-Defense Force's Misawa base in Aomori Prefecture, northeastern Japan.

In a hangar, Kono sit in the cockpit of an F35-A and had a briefing from a pilot. He also got a firsthand look at an E2-D state-of-the-art early warning plane.

Seventeen F35-As are currently deployed at the Misawa base and a squadron is conducting test operations of them.

Despite the crash of an F35-A that killed a pilot in April last year, the number of F35-A deployed at the base is expected to rise above 20 in fiscal 2020 and a second squadron will be created.

The ASDF is considering F35-A missions such as scrambles and warning and surveillance activities. Jiji Press