TOKYO -- Japan's Self-Defense Forces will deploy state-of-the-art F-35B stealth fighters in southwestern Miyazaki Prefecture, Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi said Friday, as the country ramps up defenses around its Nansei Islands.
Six F-35Bs will be stationed at the Air SDF's Nyutabaru Air Base in fiscal 2024, with two more to be added in fiscal 2025. The decision comes amid increasing military activity by China near the Senkaku Islands, which are part of the Nansei chain and are claimed by China as the Diaoyu.
