American F-35As Forward Deployed Near Taiwan as Obsolete F-15s Phased Out: Can They Counter China’s J-20s?

<p >The U.S. Air Force Vermont Air National Guard on January 13 deployed a squadron of F-35A fighter aircraft to Kadena Air Base on Okinawa, Japan, placing them in one of the most sensitive positions of any Western fighter unit in the world. Kadena is the closest American military facility to the Taiwan Strait, which is considered a leading potential hotspot for conflict between the U.S. and China, with this making the capabilities of the air units based there particularly important to U.S. security interests. F-35As are deployed on a rotational basis, with their presence being vital to allowing the Air Force to<a href=" target="_blank"> phase its obsolete F-15C/D</a> fighters out of service after over four decades permanently deployed at the facility. F-15s were initially expected to be replaced by a permanent forward deployment of fifth generation air superiority fighters, although with the F-22 program <a href=" target="_blank">having fallen far short </a>of expectations, both in terms of performance and availability rates, the Air Force has struggled to replace the F-15C/D. Rotational deployments of F-35s, F-22s and even F-16s, have thus been relied on to compensate for the departure of the F-15C/Ds, with the<a href=" target="_blank"> announcement made in July 2024</a> that these would eventually be replaced by a permanent forward deployment of 36 F-15EX fighters. Major delays in the production of the F-15EX, however, means it will be close to 2030 before these are available.</p><p ><img src=" title="134th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron F-35A at Kadena Air Force Base" ></p><p >Although the F-35 is by far the most sophisticated fighter class in the Western world, its suitability to replace the F-15C/D has repeatedly been called into question. The fighter’s range is considerably shorter than that of the F-15, which is a particularly significant shortcoming for operations over the vast distances of the Pacific, while its missile carrying capacity is significantly smaller and its radar is only around two third as large. The F-15’s advantages in flight performance are also overwhelming at all speeds. While there is little question that the F-35 is overall a much more capable fighter than the F-15C/D, with close to 40 years of technological advances separating the two aircraft, a fighter that is similarly well optimised for long range missions and high intensity air to air combat, as the F-22 was initially intended to be, has long been desired for deployment to Kadena. Although the F-15EX meets all these criteria, however, it remains one to two generation behind the cutting edge as an advanced fourth generation fighter, at a time when China’s fleet of fifth generation fighters is <a href=" target="_blank">fast growing</a> both larger and more advanced, and as the country <a href=" target="_blank">appears poised </a>to soon field its first sixth generation fighters. </p><p ><img src=" title="Chinese J-20 Fifth Generation Fighter From First Serial Production Batch in 2016" ></p><p >While the F-15C/D was a much more capable fighter than anything in the Chinese fleet when it first deployed in the early 1980s, the F-15EX and F-35 both have far poorer standings against the latest Chinese air units today, and are in many respects at a disadvantage against China’s top fighter the J-20. The J-20 combines a longer range and similar radar size to the F-15EX, with cutting edge stealth capabilities and avionics comparable to those of the F-35, which is a combination no other fighter class in the world can currently match. Elaborating on the latest F-35 deployment near China, commander of the 18th Operations Group Colonel David Deptula observed: “Rotational aircraft are a normal part of Kadena’s operations, and their presence ensures the continuation of our long-standing mission to defend Japan and maintain an open and free Indo-Pacific.” It was confirmed that the newly deployed F-35 unit, the 134th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron, would practice Agile Combat Employment (ACE) – the Air Force’s model for flexible deployments. Squadron commander Lieutenant Colonel Trevor Callen observed regarding the deployment: “Our squadron eagerly anticipates the chance to elevate our training by testing ACE concepts during this deployment,” adding that training would “significantly enhance our operational versatility in the Indo-Pacific.” The unit would “continue to receive rotational units that strengthen capabilities, such as ACE, and project combat power in concert with allies and partners,” according to the unit’s announcement.</p>