The Japanese and British defense ministers first announced the deployment of Japanese aircraft and support personnel to NATO bases during the visit of the HMS Prince of Wales to Tokyo.
Twice in the past year, NATO aircraft carriers have visited Japan, signaling closer relations between the Asian nation and the trans-Atlantic alliance.
In August 2024, Italy’s flagship ITS Cavour paid a port-of-call visit to Yokosuka, the home port of the United States Navy’s Seventh Fleet, during its deployment to the Indo-Pacific. Last month, the Royal Navy’s flagship HMS Prince of Wales also visited Yokosuka for nearly two weeks before making a port call to Tokyo as part of its Operation Highmast Carrier Strike Group 2025 (CSG25) mission.
In the weeks since, military aircraft from Japan have been deployed to multiple NATO bases as part of “Operation Atlantic Eagles,” which seeks to strengthen ties in the face of threats from Russia, China, and North Korea. The Japanese Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF) has sent around 180 personnel with eight aircraft from the 2nd Air Wing based at Chitose, 1st Tactical Airlift Wing based at Komaki, 2nd Tactical Airlift Group from Iruma and 3rd Tactical Airlift Wing from Miho, to the Eielson Air Force Base (AFB), Alaska, United States and Goose Bay, Canada; with a follow-up deployment to the Royal Air Force (RAF) Coningsby and Brize Norton, UK, and Laage Air Base, Germany, to follow.
The Japanese deployment will include four F-15 fighters, two Kawasaki C-2 transports, one KC-767, and one KC-46A Pegasus aerial refueling tanker. It will mark the first time JASDF warplanes have ever operated from Canada or in Europe.
The deployment began on Sunday, September 14 and is scheduled to conclude on October 1.
In posts on social media, JASDF shared images of the twin-engine F-15 Eagles departing Chitose AB and arriving at the Canadian Armed Forces’ Base 4 Wing Goose Bay.
“In recent years, Canada, the United Kingdom, Germany, and other European countries have steadily strengthened their involvement in the Indo-Pacific region, such as regularly dispatching fighter jets and warships to the vicinity of Japan, as seen in the recent call of the British aircraft carrier strike group to Japan,” Japanese Minister of Defense Gen Nakatani told reporters at a press conference last Friday.
Japanese Aircraft Are Circling the Globe
The Japanese and British defense ministers first announced the deployment of Japanese aircraft and support personnel to NATO bases during the visit of the HMS Prince of Wales to Tokyo last month. It follows Tokyo’s establishment of a diplomatic mission to the international alliance in January 2025, aimed at “enhance ties and to strengthen cooperation on shared values and strategic interests.” It further signaled a shift in Japan from its traditional post-World War II pacifist stance to one that looks to be more direct in confronting aggression from China and Russia.
However, during this global deployment, the JASDF F-15 Eagles are not scheduled to participate in any joint training exercises with the host nations. It has been reported that there were concerns over having the Japanese pilots take part in such drills in “unfamiliar territory” after the long flights to the NATO bases.
Such missions are primarily aimed at preparing pilots and crews for the unfamiliar or at least unpredictable. That may suggest that Tokyo will likely engage in future deployments to further familiarize its personnel.
In addition to the visit of NATO aircraft carriers, RAF Eurofighter Typhoons visited Japan in 2016, while German Luftwaffe Typhoons also flew to Japan in 2022.
About the Author: Peter Suciu
Peter Suciu has contributed over 3,200 published pieces to more than four dozen magazines and websites over a 30-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a contributing writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. He is based in Michigan. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can email the author: [email protected].
Image: Shutterstock / Mike Fuchslocher.
