The United States Air Force (USAF) confirmed that, starting in November, it will begin withdrawing its F-15 Eagle fighters headquartered at Kadena Air Base in Okinawa, southern Japan. The US has nearly 50 fighters on base.
Ann Stefanek, spokesperson for the USAF, confirmed to the The War Zone the downfall of fighter jets after a report by the Financial Times revealed the plans, citing six sources familiar with the matter.
She says in an email that “As part of its modernization plan, the USAF is retiring the fleet of F-15C/D aircraft that have been in service for mais de 30 anos. Beginning November 1, the DoD [Department of Defense] will begin a phased withdrawal of F-15C/D aircraft from Kadena Air Force Base over the next two years.”
The departure of the jets, which have been present at the base since 1979, was not welcomed by some authorities, as it comes at a time when Chinese ambitions for the region have grown exponentially. “The message to China is that the US is not serious about reversing the decline in its military strength,” David Deptula, former deputy commander of Pacific Air Forces and retired F-15 pilot, told FT. “It will encourage the Chinese to take more dramatic action.”
The move comes on the heels of the Japanese Air Force boosting its fighter force in Okinawa in response to increased foreign military aircraft activity, as well as part of a broader 'southwest shift', to refocus Chinese threats in the East China Sea and other regions.
Currently the USAF has two squadrons of F-15s in Kadena: the 44th Fighter Squadron (FS) “Vampires” and the 67th Fighter Squadron “Fighting Cocks”, forming a force of 48 aircraft dedicated exclusively to air superiority tasks. Kadena is still home to E-3 Sentry, KC-135 Stratotanker, HH-60 Pave Hawk, MV-22 Osprey and MC-130 Commando II aircraft, representing one of the most important US bases in the Pacific.
The departure of planes will be compensated with rotational detachments, which will be changed every six months. According to The War Zone, it is possible that a group of F-22 Raptor stealth fighters will be the first in this rotation, followed by the F-35 Lightning II. Still, a rotation movement is not the same as 48 permanently installed planes. On the other hand, they are much more modern fighters than the veteran F-15s.
According to the portal, observers point out that in addition to the modernization of the USAF, another reason for the loss of fighters would be the vulnerability of the air base in the face of possible Chinese attacks. “Any aircraft in Kadena is an easy target. They would likely be damaged or destroyed on the ground by ballistic and cruise missiles.” said Stacie Pettyjohn, director of the defense program at the Center for a New American Security.
Any aircraft on Kadena are sitting ducks. They likely would be damaged or destroyed on the ground by ballistic & cruise missiles. China has more than 1000 SRBMs and 300 GLCMs that can range Okinawa https://t.co/1UyxjggELD
— Stacie Pettyjohn (@StaciePettyjohn) October 28, 2022
Furthermore, the old Eagles were “left behind” after China introduced its first stealth fighter, the J-20, into wide-scale service. Other models like the Su-35S and J-16 are also a match for the F-15. Pacific Air Forces Chief General Kenneth Wilsbach expected to see the new F-15EX Eagle II replacing the F-15C/D at Kadena. However, the USAF's recent decrease in ordering from 144 jets to just 80 dampens those hopes.
On the other hand, Stefanek says that the USAF has not yet made a long-term decision, indicating that the permanent presence of fighters in Kadena may again occur in the future.
