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F-22 Raptors from Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, and Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia, have arrived at Kadena Air Base in Okinawa, the latest U.S. Air Force fighter rotation intended to support operations across the Indo-Pacific.
During the deployment, the jets will train and fly with the 18th Wing’s mix of heavy, reconnaissance, and fourth- and fifth-generation aircraft to maintain an unbroken fighter presence at the base, the Air Force said. Aircrews and maintainers from the 90th and 27th Fighter Squadrons will integrate with Kadena’s operations and maintenance units, as well as joint and allied partners, to hone tactics, improve interoperability, and sustain readiness for potential contingencies.
The Air Force describes the F-22 as its front-line air superiority fighter, combining low observability, advanced sensors, and high maneuverability to find, track, and engage threats at long ranges while limiting its own detectability.
Service officials said the deployment reinforces U.S. commitments under the security alliance with Japan and broader regional objectives. The 18th Wing plans to adhere to bilateral noise-abatement agreements with the Japanese government; visiting crews receive local briefings, and mission planners will factor in measures to reduce community impacts, according to the announcement.
Kadena has relied on rotating fighter detachments since the Air Force began withdrawing its permanently based F-15C/D Eagles in 2022. The service frames the rotation model as part of a wider effort to modernize airpower in the region and says it will sustain a credible, continuous presence at the base while preparing for the future arrival of the F-15EX Eagle II.
The Air Force added that cycling advanced fighters through the Indo-Pacific helps preserve a ready, responsive force designed to deter aggression and maintain control of the air if required.
