Japan Air Self-Defense Force's 5th Generation Fighter
The F-35 Lightning II is designed and built to counter the most advanced threats – making it a perfect fit for the Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF). As a Foreign Military Sales (FMS) participant, the JASDF has an established program of record of 127 F-35 Aircraft, consisting of 105 F-35 A models and up to 42 F-35 B models. Japan is acquiring the most of any international customer.
Nagoya, Japan is home to one of three final assembly and check-out (FACO) facilities for the F-35 Lightning II program. In partnership with Japanese industry, the FACO facility performs the final assembly and check-out of F-35A aircraft to be delivered to the JASDF. Japan’s F-35Bs will be produced in the U.S. at the Lockheed Martin Aeronautics production facility in Fort Worth, Texas.
To ensure the global readiness of the F-35 fleet well into the future, the F-35 Enterprise is standing up Maintenance, Repair, Overhaul and Upgrade (MRO&U) sites around the globe. With the Initial Depot Capability declared in June 2020, the site is now conducting MRO&U activities for the North Asia region, providing component repair and maintenance for the growing global F-35 fleet.
Base Locations
Program Milestones