Tokyo: Japan will, for the first time, send Air Self-Defense Force (ASDF) F-15 fighter jets to Europe and Canada starting on Sunday, as part of efforts to deepen defense exchanges with partner nations, Defense Minister Gen Nakatani announced Friday. Four F-15s from Chitose Air Base in northern Japan, along with transport and refueling aircraft, will be deployed to the United States, Canada, Britain, and Germany until October 1, Nakatani stated at a press conference.
According to Kuwait News Agency, the defense mission is intended for unit-to-unit exchanges, which will include aircraft displays and personnel discussions. However, no joint training exercises are planned during this mission.
Minister Nakatani noted the increasing engagement by European countries such as Canada, Britain, and Germany in the Indo-Pacific region. He highlighted their efforts, which include regularly dispatching fighter aircraft and naval vessels to areas near Japan.
Nakatani also emphasized the importance of this move, stating, "The deployment of ASDF fighter jets to North America and Europe will embody our shared recognition that the security of the Euro-Atlantic and Indo-Pacific regions is inseparable and interrelated."