05-14-2007, 04:57 AM
|
#54 (permalink)
|
|
Burgomaster
Join Date: 08-02-03
Location: Minneapolis
Country: 
|
The US military has wrapped up what seems to be a showcasing of the F-22s at Okinawa... read between the lines?
Quote:
F-22's Wrap up Okinawa Deployment
TOKYO - A dozen F-22 stealth fighters are heading back to the United States after completing their first overseas mission, a four-month deployment to Okinawa aimed at showcasing the fighter's capabilities and giving pilots a chance to train in a new setting.
The fighters, which arrived on the southern Japan island of Okinawa in February, will fly out of Kadena Air Base early Thursday, the Air Force and Japan's Foreign Ministry said in separate statements. The fighters are based at Langely Air Force Base in Virginia.
The deployment, the first outside of the United States for the Air Force's newest and most expensive fighter, was intended to show off the F-22's strengths in a region with a complex security balance that is being challenged by the rapid growth of Chinese and North Korean military power.
The mission also was aimed at providing training opportunities for the pilots and enhancing cooperation with the Japanese military.
During their deployment on Okinawa, the fighters conducted joint training with the Japanese. Two F-22A Raptors and two F-15 Eagles took part in the training, which involved mock air battles with four F-4 Phantoms and four F-15 Eagles from Japan's Air Self-Defense Force.
Japan's Defense Minister Fumio Kyuma said the deployment of the stealth fighters was part of ongoing efforts to improve technology and train at working together.
Under a mutual defense past, the United States has roughly 50,000 troops in Japan, and the two countries have been strengthening the interoperability of their forces in recent years with Japan hoping to take a more active role in regional security.
Officials say there are no plans to regularly bring F-22s to Japan after the current mission ends. F-22 fighters are scheduled to be deployed in Alaska and possibly Hawaii, which would give a significant boost to the Air Force's firepower in the Pacific.
The U.S. is not alone in boosting its air capabilities in Asia.
China is rapidly modernizing its military, and recently unveiled its J-10 fighter, which is believed to be one of the most advanced warplanes used by any air force in the world today, though it is not seen as a serious technological rival to the F-22.
|
Source: F-22's Wrap up Okinawa Deployment
__________________
The Buck Stops Here
|
|
|