As the North Korean threat seems to increase on a daily basis the US is sending 12 F-35’s to Japan.

The U.S. Air Force has announced that it will send its version of the advanced F-35 stealth fighter jet to Okinawa’s Kadena Air Base next month in the first such deployment to the Asia-Pacific region.

The air force said in a statement Tuesday that it would send 12 F-35 fighters and approximately 300 airmen to the Kadena base in early November for a six-month rotational deployment.

“The F-35A gives the joint warfighter unprecedented global precision attack capability against current and emerging threats while complementing our air superiority fleet,” Gen. Terrence J. O’Shaughnessy, Pacific Air Forces commander, said in the statement. “The airframe is ideally suited to meet our command’s obligations, and we look forward to integrating it into our training and operations.” – The Japan Times

While this deployment of F-35’s was pre-planned by the Air Force months ago it still sends a signal to North Korea that the US is putting powerful assets in place close to their shores.

Featured image by US Air Force

This article courtesy of Fighter Sweep.