Hobby Master Archive

The JASDF has ordered 147 F-35 aircraft consisting of 105 F-35As and up to 42 F-35Bs making Japan the largest foreign customer. The first F-35A will go to Misawa along with nine others by the end of 2018. Because of restrictions barring military aircraft from operations at the Shimochijima Airport on Ryukyu Islands the longest runways the JASDF have decided to deploy the F-35B variant to airports with shorter runways. Using F-35Bs on Izumo-class helicopter destroyers is under consideration. Perhaps changing some F-35A orders to F-35B.