Defense & Security

JASDF Conducts Joint Training with U.S., Dutch Air Forces in Japan’s Aomori Pref., Aim Is to Coordinate F-35a Operations

Yomiuri Shimbun photos
Commander Andre Steur of the Royal Netherlands Air and Space Force, left, Takehiro Morita, chief of staff of the ASDF, center, and Joel Carey, commander of U.S. Fifth Air Force shake hands.

The Yomiuri Shimbun

15:41 JST, March 31, 2026

Yomiuri Shimbun photos
A Dutch fighter jet on the runway at Misawa Air Base in Aomori Prefecture

The Air Self-Defense Force is conducting joint training with the U.S. and Dutch air forces using the F-35A state-of-the-art stealth fighter at Misawa Air Base in Misawa, Aomori Prefecture.

This marks the first time the JASDF has conducted joint training with the Netherlands.

The joint exercise, which was proposed by the Netherlands, began on March 20 and will continue through April 3. The aim is to develop proficiency in the coordinated operation of the F-35A, and the air base was selected for the location due to its well-established infrastructure.

On Friday, when the training exercise was open to the press, fighter jets from each country took off one after another from the runway in the morning and conducted various tactical maneuvers. Briefings were also held in preparation for the afternoon training, during which weather conditions and other factors were confirmed with the fighter pilots.

“This embodies the shared recognition that security in Europe and the Atlantic is inseparable from that of the Indo-Pacific,” said ASDF Chief of Staff Takehiro Morita. Commander Andre Steur of the Royal Netherlands Air and Space Force noted that this is not merely an operational exercise. He praised it as a valuable opportunity to strengthen cooperation among participating nations and share all relevant insights.