F-15EX Eagle II Touches Down at Kadena Air Base for Training

An F-15EX Eagle II has landed at Kadena Air Base in Okinawa, Japan for training purposes. This marks the second visit of the advanced air superiority fighter to the base since its inaugural visit in July 2022. The aircraft is designed to replace the aging F-15C/D Eagles that began phasing out in late 2022.

Kadena Air Base is a strategically important location, situated approximately 370 miles from Taiwan and 400 miles from the Chinese mainland. A permanently stationed F-15EX squadron at Kadena would provide the Indo-Pacific command with a fighter capable of carrying twelve air-to-air missiles simultaneously.

The permanent deployment of F-15EX to Kadena was initially delayed due to the 2025 Boeing machinists' strike, which impacted production. However, production recovery is underway, and the Air Force continues to accept deliveries at Eglin AFB in Florida. The current visit is a short-term training and familiarization deployment.

The F-15EX carries an AN/APG-82(V)1 AESA radar, fly-by-wire controls, and can team with autonomous drones like the MQ-28 Ghost Bat. Brigadier General John Gallemore, Commander of the 18th Wing at Kadena Air Base, stated that the arrival of the F-15EX represents 'the next chapter of airpower at Kadena.'

The first permanently based Eagle IIs are expected to arrive at Kadena in 2027, according to Air Force Secretary Troy Meink. The current deployment is intended as a short-term training exercise but has raised questions about whether it might become permanent.