The first two F-15EX Eagle II fighters assigned to Kadena Air Base arrived in Okinawa, Japan, on November 15, marking the beginning of the permanent deployment of the new aircraft to the Pacific. Their arrival comes nearly three months after the first fighter left Boeing's production facility in St. Louis, Missouri.
The two aircraft landed at Kadena at approximately 10:26 a.m. local time, according to the Japanese newspaper Ryukyu Shimpo. They are the first of 36 F-15EX fighters scheduled to be stationed at the base, which hosts the US Air Force's 18th Wing.
The first aircraft destined for Kadena, identified as EX-22, departed Boeing's St. Louis facility on August 28. Rather than flying directly to Japan, it was transferred to Portland, Oregon, where it underwent preparations for its operational assignment, including software updates and systems integration.
The US Air Force had originally expected the first F-15EX fighters to reach Kadena during the first half of 2026. However, production delays, including the effects of a strike at Boeing's St. Louis facilities in 2025, pushed back the delivery schedule.
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The arrival marks an important milestone in the replacement of Kadena's aging F-15C/D Eagle fighters, which began leaving the base in November 2022. Since then, the Air Force has relied on rotating deployments of other combat aircraft to maintain its fighter presence in Okinawa.
Kadena begins rebuilding its permanent fighter fleet
The 36 F-15EX aircraft will equip the 44th and 67th Fighter Squadrons, both assigned to the 18th Wing. The deployment will restore a permanent F-15 fighter presence at one of the most strategically important American air bases in the western Pacific.
During the transition, Kadena has hosted temporary deployments of F-15E Strike Eagles, F-16 Fighting Falcons, F-22 Raptors and F-35 Lightning IIs from other US Air Force units. These rotations have maintained the base's combat capabilities during the gap between the withdrawal of its older Eagles and the arrival of their replacements.
The F-15EX retains the basic configuration of the twin-engine F-15 but incorporates modern avionics, digital flight controls, an advanced electronic warfare suite and increased weapons-carrying capacity. Unlike the F-35, it is not a stealth fighter, but its payload and range make it particularly suited to missions requiring substantial firepower over the Pacific.
Kadena is the first overseas base designated to receive the F-15EX as a permanently assigned fighter. The arrival of the initial pair begins a transition that will continue as additional aircraft are delivered to the two squadrons.
