The planned delivery of the first six F-35B Lightning II fighters for Japan before the end of March has now been pushed back to at least April, Japan Defense Minister Gen Nakatani announced in a Friday press conference.
The Ministry of Defense (MOD) planned to have the aircraft delivered and deployed at Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF) Nyutabaru Air Base before the end of Japan Fiscal Year 2024, which ends on March 31, but the date has now been pushed back to sometime in FY 2025, Nakatani said.
The specific delivery date is under consideration, but the ministry plans to establish a temporary F-35B squadron at Nyutabaru before the end of FY 2024 in order to prepare for the delivery of the aircraft, he said.
“I understand that there will not be a major impact from this delivery delay, but in any case, in order to minimize the impact, we will continue to work with the U.S. side toward deployment and steadily advance the work to accept the deployment of the temporary F-35B squadron that will be established this fiscal year,” Nakatani said.
Additional deliveries of F-35Bs after FY 2025 should not be affected, he said. The defense minister did not say why the first batch was delayed.
Manufacturer Lockheed Martin resumed deliveries after the Pentagon lifted its year-long pause on the entire F-35 line in July 2024. The Pentagon paused deliveries for both the U.S. military and foreign customers due to the development of the F-35’s Technology Refresh 3 software upgrade not being completed yet.
While deliveries have resumed, the upgrade is only scheduled to be completed sometime in 2025 with delivered jets restricted to training duties. This will not be an issue for Japan with its F-35Bs being in introduction to service stage. Lockheed Martin announced on Wednesday that it delivered 110 F-35s in 2024.
While the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force has a fleet air wing of fixed and rotary wing aircraft, the JASDF, which already operates the F-35A, will operate the F-35Bs. Japan’s F-35 program is for 105 F-35As and 42 F-35Bs.
The F-35Bs are to be operated from Japan’s two Izumo-class destroyer carriers, with JS Izumo (DDH-183) now undergoing its second stage conversion at the Japan Marine United shipyard in Yokohama, which includes converting its flight deck shape to a rectangular shape similar to U.S. Wasp and America-class amphibious assault ships. Work is expected to be completed in FY 2027.
JS Kaga (DDH-184) had its bow converted during its first stage conversion, which was completed in April 2024, with the ship then sailing to the U.S. West Coast to conduct F-35B trials. Kaga is scheduled to carry out a second stage conversion in FY 2026 that is expected to be completed in FY 2028. Kaga’s interior will be reconfigured to support F-35B operations.
Japan has carried out F-35B trials on the Izumo-class ships twice, with Izumo carrying out a trial earlier in 2021. On both occasions, the trials used U.S. Marine Corps F-35Bs and non-JASDF pilots.
Japan is likely to only achieve initial operational capability of F-35Bs from its carriers by 2029 or 2030 although the process could be shorter if Japan qualifies its F-35B pilots and aircraft via training and operating on a partner nation ship or attaching pilots to a partner nation’s operational F-35B squadron while waiting for completion of the conversion of its carriers.
During the press conference Nakatani also said that the MOD will make every effort to ensure that the relocation of the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF) V-22 Ospreys from JGSDF Camp Kisarazu on the main island of Honshu to a new JGSDF Camp Saga on the main island of Kyushu will be carried out as soon as possible.
The relocation of the Ospreys will allow them to operate closely with the Amphibious Rapid Deployment Brigade (ARDB) based nearby at JGSDF Camp Ainoura in Sasebo and strengthen Japan’s island defense capabilities.
The JGSDF Ospreys were not only important for island defense but also able to support disaster relief operations and provide emergency transportation and transportation of patients, Nakatani said. The JGSDF operates a total of 17 Ospreys and is the only non-U.S. user of the tiltrotor.
“The Ministry of Defense will continue to make every effort to realize the opening of the Saga Garrison and the relocation of the 17 Ospreys as soon as possible,” Nakatani said.
