Overview

• Japan has begun flying its first F-35B jets from Nyutabaru Air Base, with three of the initial four delivered aircraft flown by US pilots under Foreign Military Sales protocols.
• US, British and Japanese F-35B squadrons conducted integrated flight operations in the Northern Philippine Sea, including air defence drills and maritime strike serials.
• A British F-35B Lightning II landed on JS Kaga, marking the first time a UK jet has operated from a Japanese warship.
• HMS Prince of Wales and its escort vessels entered Yokosuka Naval Base for a three-week port call following the conclusion of Operation Highmast carrier exercises.
• Communities near Nyutabaru have raised noise concerns over vertical landing training, and Chinese analysts have criticized the deployments as shifting Japan’s defensive posture.