MISAWA AIR BASE, Japan—
Pacific Air Forces don’t have many F-35s. Yet.
However, within 5 years, there will be more than 200 Joint strike fighters in the region—70 percent of them owned and operated not by the U.S. Air Force, but by its allies. Japan is acquiring 147 F-35s—105 A models and 42 B models—making it the single biggest international customer for the fifth-generation jets.
“Ensuring all those aircraft are truly interoperable is a critical challenge, and there’s no time like the present to get that ball rolling,” said Chief Master Sgt. Brian Kruzelnick, Command Chief Master Sergeant for 5th Air Force.