Melbourne, Australia-The Minister of Defense of Japan confirmed that US allies will deploy Lockheed Martin’s F-35B Lightning II short take-off and vertical landing or STOVL fighter jets at the southernmost tip of Japan’s four main islands.

Japan’s Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi stated on July 16 that the Japan Air Self-Defense Force or the Japan Air Self-Defense Force’s Nyutabaru base on the east coast of Kyushu Island is the “best choice” for deploying stealth fifth-generation fighters. The base is currently the location of the Japan Air Self-Defense Force's Mitsubishi F-15J/DJ Eagle Interceptor Operations and Training Squadron, and is the southernmost Japan Air Self-Defense Force operations base on Japan's main islands.

He also revealed that F-35B will be deployed to Nitahara in fiscal year 2025, with a total of six aircraft. Two more planes will arrive next year. The fiscal year in Japan is from April 1 to March 30 of the following year.

Japan plans to purchase 42 F-35Bs and 157 F-35s. The remaining aircraft are expected to be conventional take-off and landing or CTOL F-35A variants. The Japan Air Self-Defense Force has established its second F-35A squadron in Misawa, northern Japan.

The Ministry of Defense of Japan has briefed local officials on the F-35B deployment plan. Kishi pointed out that the support of the local community is critical to its plan, and the opposition of local residents has delayed or obstructed the deployment of multiple systems in recent years, including the deployment of the Bell-Boeing MV-22B Osprey tiltrotor aircraft in the country.

The deployment of F-35Bs on the east coast of Kyushu would be an ideal choice for the joint deployment of the detachment and the Japanese Izumo-class helicopter destroyers, as they are deployed from the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force bases in Kure and Yokosuka. Japan is modifying the Izumo and sister ship Kaga to operate the F-35B.

The first phase of the conversion to Izumo has been completed. The ship’s flight deck has been newly painted with lines for fixed-wing air operations starting from its availability in June. It is also believed that a heat-resistant coating has been applied to the flight deck to cope with the temperature of the F-35B exhaust pipe.

The next stage of the conversion will include rebuilding the front of the flight deck from a trapezoid to a rectangle, while changing the interior space of the ship to accommodate the operation of the F-35B. These changes may increase airborne aviation fuel capacity and provide armored magazines to store air-launched weapons.

Izumo's conversion is scheduled to be completed in fiscal year 2024. Japan’s "China News" reported that the resurfacing and renovation of the Kaga flight deck will begin later this fiscal year, although the renovation of the interior space of the second ship will only be carried out later.