Fresh F-22 and F-16 fighter jets arrived at Kadena Air Base, Japan, this past weekend as the key Pacific base phases out its few remaining F-15C Eagles.
The F-16s are from the 77th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron out of Shaw Air Force Base, S.C. The F-22s are from the 525th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron out of Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska.
In addition to the incoming fighters, F-22s from the 27th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron out of Joint Base Langly-Eustis, Va., remain at the base.
Kadena continues to hold onto some F-15Cs—a staple of the installation since the late 1970s—which are nearing the end of their lifespan.
Stars and Stripes first reported the new fighters’ arrival. 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 as they wait to be phased out.”
A U.S. Air Force F-22A Raptor, assigned to…
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