Netherlands Planning F-35 Stealth Fighter Deployments to East Asia as NATO Pivots to the Pacific

<p >The Royal Netherlands Air Force is considering plans to make its first deployments of F-35A fifth generation fighters to the Western Pacific region, with the country’s ambassador to Japan Gilles Beschoor Plug elaborating on the rationales for an expanded presence. “The war in Ukraine, North Korea’s troop deployment to Russia and the potential impact of South China Sea disruptions on international trade highlight how much regional security developments have become globally interconnected,” he stated. “Given the growing threat to international peace, stability and the rules-based order, Japan, the Netherlands, as well as our allies and partners, need to help each other to tackle these challenges,” he added. He raised concerns that countries with non-westernised political systems posed a threat to the Western-led order in the region, which required the Netherlands to work “more closely than ever before” with regional states, and particularly Japan, on defence and economic security issues. The Netherlands has made growing deployments of naval assets to East Asia in 2024, with one of its destroyers alleged to have entered Chinese waters in June, leading China to respond by deploying fighters to closely shadow the vessel. </p><p ><img src=" title="U.S. Marine Corps F-35B (Cpl. Brian Burdett)" ></p><p >Plug cited the growing power of Chinese and North Korean forces – the leading two regional militaries of countries outside the Western sphere of influence – as a leading cause for concern in The Hague, adding that his country would deploy new warships and F-35s to the region in 2026. With the details for these deployments still being worked out, a key goal would be to increase training with regional counterparts including the Japan Air Self Defence Force, as security issues affecting Europe and East Asia became increasingly intertwined. This statement was in line with the prevailing trend in Western thought that there was no longer a significant distinction between the two theatres, with NATO members accordingly increasingly focused on countering the Chinese challenge to Western Bloc dominance.</p><p >The Netherlands has notably been far from alone among Western Bloc states in deploying fighters to Japan, with the United Kingdom having previously deployed Eurofighters to the country which were involved in U.S.-led simulated attacks on North Korea in the 2010s. Italy <a href=" >deployed F-35A </a>and <a href=" >F-35B fighters</a> to the country in 2023 and 2024 respectively, while Australia made its first F-35 deployment in the country in September 2023. Japan is the only country to host overseas F-35 deployments under the <a href=" >U.S. Navy</a>, <a href=" >Air Force </a>and <a href=" >Marine Corps</a>, with the presence of American F-35s continuing to grow. </p>