Kadena is adding new F-16 and F-22 fighters, with some F-15s remaining

New F-22 and F-16 fighter jets arrived at Kadena Air Base in Japan last weekend as the key Pacific base retires its few remaining F-15C Eagles.

The F-16s are from the 77th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron at Shaw Air Force Base, SC. ​​The F-22s come from the 525th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska.

In addition to the incoming fighters, F-22s from the 27th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron at Joint Base Langly-Eustis, Virginia, remain on base.

Kadena continues to retain some F-15Cs – a fixture of the installation since the late 1970s – that are nearing the end of their service life.

Stars and Stripes first reported the arrival of the new fighters. A spokeswoman for Kadena's 18th Wing confirmed their presence to Air & Space Forces Magazine and also confirmed that “there are F-15C Eagles remaining at Kadena awaiting retirement.”

A U.S. Air Force F-22A Raptor assigned to the 525th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron, Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, takes off during a temporary deployment at Kadena Air Base, Japan, Oct. 10, 2024. The transition to more modern aircraft at Kadena is an example of the U.S. Air Force's continued commitment to improving its posture and building on the strong foundation of the U.S.-Japan alliance. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Luis E. Rios Calderon)

A U.S. Air Force F-16C Fighting Falcon assigned to the 77th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron, Shaw Air Force Base, S.C., takes off during its first flight during a temporary deployment to Kadena Air Base, Japan, Oct. 9 from 2024. The transition to more modern aircraft at Kadena is an example of the U.S. Air Force's continued commitment to improving its posture and building on the strong foundation of the U.S.-Japan alliance. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Catherine Daniel)

A U.S. Air Force F-22A Raptor assigned to the 525th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron, Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, takes off during a temporary deployment at Kadena Air Base, Japan, Oct. 10, 2024. The transition to more modern aircraft at Kadena is an example of the U.S. Air Force's continued commitment to improving its posture and building on the strong foundation of the U.S.-Japan alliance. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Luis E. Rios Calderon)

U.S. Air Force Capt. Jacob Heydinger, 525th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron pilot, prepares to fly an F-22A Raptor at Kadena Air Base, Japan, Oct. 10, 2024. The transition to more modern aircraft at Kadena is an example of the U.S. Air Force's continued commitment to improving posture and building on the strong foundation of the U.S.-Japan alliance. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Luis E. Rios Calderon)

U.S. Air Force Capt. Kayla Vohs, 77th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron pilot, conducts pre-flight checks across the Indo-Pacific region before her first flight during a temporary deployment to Kadena Air Base, Japan, Oct. 9, 2024, to ensure continued commitment to regional stability and to signal safety. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman Arnet Tamayo)

U.S. Air Force Maj. James Gregory, 77th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron weapons officer, conducts pre-flight checks on a U.S. Air Force F-16C Fighting Falcon assigned to the 77th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron, Shaw Air Force Base, S.C., at Kadena Air Force Base , Japan, Oct. 9, 2024. The transition to more modern aircraft at Kadena is an example of the U.S. Air Force's continued commitment to improving its posture and building on the strong foundation of the U.S.-Japan alliance. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Catherine Daniel)

Kadena's aging F-15Cs have been slowly leaving base for months after the Air Force decided in October 2022 to phase out the fleet and temporarily replace it with a rotation of fourth- and fifth-generation fighters.

The 18th Wing has consistently refused to disclose the number of F-15Cs remaining at Kadena, citing operational safety concerns. However, in August the departure of a four-person Eagle ship was noted as a “milestone” in the decline.

Military officials would not say when the last F-15C will fly.

Kadena is expected to eventually welcome 36 F-15EX fighters as a permanent replacement for the F-15C, part of a larger force restructuring in Japan that will see F-35s moved to Misawa Air Base. The new F-15EXs will feature additional weapons stations, new electronic warfare suites, fly-by-wire flight controls, a far more powerful set of processors and new cockpit displays. The expected date for Kadena to be fully equipped with the F-15EX is 2026.

“There will be a lot to learn when introducing a new platform into these environments, and we will likely learn some lessons about the capabilities of the F-15EX,” Gen. Kevin B. Schnider, commander of Pacific Air Forces, told Air & Space Forces Magazine last month. “I don’t think it will be a significant transition to introduce a new platform into Kadena just because the people running that platform already know the business.”

Kadena, the closest Air Force base to the island of Taiwan, is considered a key strategic location for the U.S. in competition with China and has been a permanent base for fighter jets for the past two years. Most recently, F-22s departed from Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, after a six-month rotation at the base.

The Air Force's entire fighter fleet has been in high demand recently. Amid rising tensions between Israel and Iran, more F-15s, F-16s and A-10s are being deployed to the Middle East as jet squadrons expand their operations to bolster U.S. air power in the region.