U.S. and Japan sister flights team up for bilateral flight

Japan Air Self-Defense Force Maj. Nagamine, left, and U.S. Air Force Maj. Jesse Ruter, weapons systems officer assigned to the 18th Operations Group, prepare to take off in a F-15DJ Eagle assigned to the 204th Fighter Squadron, at Naha Air Base, Japan, Nov. 19, 2025. The mission supported ongoing efforts to strengthen bilateral capability and maintain stability across the Indo-Pacific. (Photo by Airman Nathaniel Jackson/U.S. Air Force)

KADENA AIR BASE, Japan — U.S. Air Force Maj. Jesse Ruter, a weapons systems officer assigned to the 18th Operations Group, joined Japan Air Self-Defense Force pilots from the 204th Fighter Squadron for a bilateral flight at Naha Air Base, Japan, Nov. 19, 2025, strengthening the partnership between two allied air forces.