Japan’s Air Self-Defense Force has carried out its first fighter deployment to Europe in its 71-year history, with F-15 jets touching down at RAF Coningsby as part of the Atlantic Eagles mission.
The deployment, running from 14 September to 1 October, includes two F-15 fighters supported by KC-767, KC-46A, and C-2 transport aircraft, along with around 180 personnel. Stops are planned at bases in the US, Canada, the UK, and Germany.
General Morita Takehiro, JASDF Chief of Staff, said: “This marks our first fighter deployment to Europe in the 71-year history of the Koku-Jieitai. We have named this mission ‘Atlantic Eagles,’ symbolising our F-15 jets spreading their wings across the Atlantic.”
Air Chief Marshal Richard Smyth, RAF Chief of the Air Staff, called the arrival “a powerful symbol of how far our partnership has advanced. This is not simply a visit, it is a demonstration of operational trust and shared purpose.”
The mission builds on recent UK-Japan defence ties, including joint training near Japan and the UK’s Carrier Strike Group visit to the Indo-Pacific. Last month, defence ministers issued their first joint statement, framing the partnership as entering “new dimensions.”
Both air chiefs underlined that Euro-Atlantic and Indo-Pacific security are increasingly linked. The Atlantic Eagles deployment, they said, is intended to deepen mutual understanding and enhance interoperability between the two air forces.
The mission marks the beginning of expanded RAF–JASDF collaboration, reinforcing shared commitments to peace, stability, and global security.
AloJapan.com