Japan will deploy F-15 fighter jets to Canada, the United Kingdom, and Germany for the first time as part of a two-week defense cooperation mission, Defense Minister Gen Nakatani announced Friday.
The deployment will mark the first overseas tour of Japanese fighter aircraft to Europe and North America under the country’s pacifist constitution.
“This embodies the common understanding that security in the Euro-Atlantic and Indo-Pacific regions is inseparable,” Nakatani said at a news conference, according to Kyodo News. “We will seek to deepen mutual understanding with the air forces of those countries.”
The plan was discussed during a recent visit to Tokyo by British Defense Secretary John Healey.
Four F-15s will participate in the mission, supported by transport and refueling aircraft. The tour will begin at Chitose Air Base in Hokkaido, with the first stop in Canada, followed by the UK and Germany. The aircraft will also stop at a U.S. military base in Alaska. Officials noted that the tour does not include joint training exercises.
Japan, which hosts more than 50,000 U.S. troops, has expanded defense cooperation with Western nations in recent years, including closer engagement with NATO.
The announcement comes as Nakatani’s ministry has requested a record defense budget of 8.8 trillion yen ($59.9 billion) for the next fiscal year, prioritizing missile and drone capabilities.