Kadena Welcomes Its First F-15EX Eagle II Fighters
The fighters are the first permanently based F-15EXs overseas and support the Air Force’s modernization push in the Pacific, officials said.
- On Sunday, Nov. 15, 2026, the first two permanently stationed U.S. Air Force F-15EX Eagle II fighters arrived at Kadena Air Base, Japan, assigned to the 67th Fighter Squadron, marking a historic milestone in the installation's fighter modernization.
- The deployment follows a July 3, 2024, Department of Defense modernization plan aimed at deterring regional aggression, which replaces the base's older F-15C/D fleet with 36 advanced F-15EX jets.
- Flying from Portland Air National Guard Base, Oregon, the fighters stopped in Hawaii before reaching Kadena, making the installation the first overseas Air Force site to field combat-coded F-15EX aircraft.
- "These aircraft strengthen our ability to deter aggression, respond to emerging threats, and defend Japan," said Brig. Gen. John Gallemore, 18th Wing commander, while the fighters feature state-of-the-art electronic warfare systems.
- The 18th Wing's modernization arrives as the unit prepares for its 2027 centennial, marking 100 years since its activation at Wheeler Field, Hawaii, ensuring continued combat capability in the Pacific.
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The United States of America has deployed upgraded F-15EX fighter aircraft at Kaden Airbase in Okinawa, Japan, for the first time deployed outside United States territory, reported to the media. Modernized combat aircraft have been deployed at a military base outside the United States for the first time, transmitting TASS with reference to Japanese public television. Plans to deploy a total of 36 such fighter aircraft to Okinawa for several year…
Upgraded F-15EX fighter jets have been deployed to Kadena Air Base on the southern Japanese island of Okinawa, the Japanese public broadcaster NHK reported
The broadcaster emphasized that this marks the first time the upgraded fighter jets have been deployed to a military base outside the United States.Earlier reports said that a total of 36 such fighter jets are expected to be deployed to Okinawa over...
Kadena Welcomes Its First F-15EX Eagle II Fighters
The first permanently stationed U.S. Air Force F-15EX Eagle IIs assigned to the 67th Fighter Squadron arrived at Kadena Air Base, Japan. The first two U.S. Air Force F-15EX Eagle II fighters jets permanently stationed at Kadena Air Base, Japan, arrived at their new home on Nov. 15, 2026. The two aircraft are assigned to […]
The first F-15EX Eagle II fighter permanently assigned to Kadena landed on November 15, 2026. The air base is on the Japanese island of Okinawa. This is reported by the 18th Wing note published in DVIDS, the Pentagon news service. With that landing, Kadena becomes the first ... Continue reading "Goodbye to the F-15C of Okinawa: the first F-15EX Eagle II fighter is already in Kadena, the first U.S. air base abroad to receive it"
(Tokyo=Yonhap News) Correspondent Cho Seong-mi = U.S. Forces Japan have begun deploying the F-15 EX, the latest upgraded version of the F-15 fighter jet, to Kadena Air Base in Okinawa Prefecture, Japan...
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