US sends F-15EXs to Japan to pave way for 2026 deployment

A US Air Force F-15EX Eagle II of the 85th Test and Evaluation Squadron lands at Kadena Air Base, Japan, on 16 July 2025. (US Air Force/Airman Nathaniel Jackson)

The US Air Force (USAF) has deployed two Boeing F-15EX Eagle IIs at Kadena Air Base on Okinawa for the first time to familiarise personnel with the new aircraft and allow the type to participate in a new exercise to test large force operations in contested and rapidly changing environments.

The two F-15EX aircraft, which arrived at Okinawa on 12 July, are intended to set “the stage for the permanent arrival of 36 F-15EX aircraft at Kadena in spring 2026 – part of a long-term transformation to maintain US air dominance in a dynamic theatre,” the USAF 18th Wing said in a statement on 20 July.

Janes has previously reported that 36 F-15EX aircraft will replace the now withdrawn force of fourth-generation Boeing F-15C/Ds as part of the US Department of Defense's (DoD's) updated force posture plan for the US military in Japan.

According to Brigadier General John Gallemore, 18th Wing commander, the “arrival of the F-15EX at Kadena marks more than just a training opportunity; it is a glimpse into the future of air power in the Indo-Pacific. By operating this next-generation platform in its future environment, we're laying the groundwork for seamless integration, sustained readiness, and a decisive edge in a rapidly evolving security landscape”.

The arrival in Okinawa of the two aircraft, which are from the USAF's 85th Test and Evaluation Squadron based at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida, also constitutes the first overseas deployment of the F-15EX. During their period of basing at Kadena, the two aircraft will participate in Exercise ‘Resolute Force Pacific' (REFORPAC) 2025.