Nyutabaru land base for JASDF’s F-35B fleet
It is now finally official, the Japanese Government plans to operate at least one squadron of F-35B Lightning IIs from Nyutabaru air base in Miyazaki Prefecture, using it as its land-base when not aboard a ship.
The aim is to deploy the F-35B in 2024, after local governments have been informed and have agreed. The Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF) hopes it will have eighteen F-35Bs by the end of FY2023 (March 2024) to form one Hikotai (squadron).
Nyutabaru is deemed to be the most suitable, because of its relative close proximity to MCAS Iwakuni (for joint training with USMC F-35Bs), to Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) naval base Kure (base of one of the Izumo class destroyers) and to Make-jima island, south of Kagoshima, where a Field Carrier Landing Practice facility is to be built.
The F-35B, together with its deployment on the JMSDF Izumo class destroyers (read aircraft carrier) is the key element of Japan’s defence of its remote islands against foreign aggressors. In particular the build-up of China’s military strength is a major factor in ordering the F-35B, of which 42 are planned to be acquired. In a show of force, the Chinese Navy recently send a convoy of six ships, including the aircraft carrier Liaoning to the waters around Japan and these travelled between Okinawa and Miyako-jima.
The F-35B can be operated from the remote islands, making use of the small civilian airports as there are no Air Self-Defense Force bases present. However permanent deployement of the fighters on land bases would make them very vulnerable to medium-range missiles, therefore the use of mobile naval vessels will reduce the risk of being attacked.
At this moment the DDH-183 Izumo is being refurbished and to be made capable of F-35B operations. It will not be fitted with a ‘ski-jump’ but its bow will be modified into a square shape. Further improvements mainly focus on making the flight-deck heat-resistant, its aircraft elevators were already designed with the F-35B in mind. Once the refurbishment is complete, the vessel will, at one stage during its sea-trials, see the deployement of USMC F-35Bs to train Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) personnel in jet-operations.
Location of the next batch of F-35Bs, forming the second hikotai is still under consideration.
Photo (just illustrative for the type): Peter Steendam (Scramble Archive)