After completing historic visits to Germany and the United Kingdom—the first of their kind since the institution’s founding—the F-15J fighters of the Japan Air Self-Defense Force have completed their return journey to Japan, officially concluding the Atlantic Eagles deployment. Departing from the European continent, the aircraft made a brief stop at Eielson Air Force Base in Alaska before finally heading to Japanese territory, which had also been the first stop on their outbound journey.
In its official statement, the Japanese Air Self-Defense Force highlighted that this final stop provided a new opportunity to deepen the already close cooperation between Tokyo and Washington, allowing various procedural exchanges between Japanese pilots and technicians and their U.S. counterparts. Summarizing some of their brief official remarks: “We will continue to further strengthen the response and deterrence capabilities of the Japan-U.S. alliance, contributing to the peace and stability of the region.”
🇺🇸🇨🇦🇯🇵🇬🇧🇩🇪 #F15 戦闘機は北米・欧州親善訪問を終了し、千歳基地 @jasdf_chitose に到着しました。本親善訪問により、 #航空自衛隊 は欧州・大西洋とインド太平洋の安全保障は不可分であり、相互に連関しているとの認識を体現することができました。応援ありがとうございました。 #AtlanticEagles pic.twitter.com/4pCPASUfbS
— 防衛省 航空自衛隊 (@JASDF_PAO) October 1, 2025
It is worth noting that this has been the essence of the Atlantic Eagles deployment as a whole: a visit of Japanese aircraft to the country’s main defense allies in North America and Europe to reinforce the ties that unite them, in part reciprocating previous visits by these allies to Japan in recent years. Specifically, the deployed force’s journey took them from their starting point at Chitose Air Base in Hokkaido, Japan, to Eielson Air Force Base in the U.S., Goose Bay in Canada, RAF Coningsby in the U.K., and Laage Air Base in Germany. At none of these locations were significant military exercises conducted; rather, the visits were goodwill engagements reflecting Tokyo’s commitment to its allies.
Yesterday, the force announced that the aircraft had returned to Chitose Air Base, formally concluding the deployment. The statement read: “The fighter jets have concluded their friendship visit to North America and Europe and have arrived at Chitose Air Base. Through this friendship visit, the Japan Air Self-Defense Force was able to embody the recognition that the security of Europe, the Atlantic, and the Indo-Pacific is indivisible and interconnected. Thank you for your support.”
Finally, it should be highlighted that a total of four Japanese F-15J fighters participated in the Atlantic Eagles deployment, complemented by two Kawasaki C-2 support aircraft responsible for transporting mission-related personnel and equipment. These were among the newest aircraft in Japan’s current fleet. Additionally, Japan also mobilized KC-46 and KC-767 aircraft, which were tasked with refueling the fighters during the long flights between the various stages of the operation.
Image credits: Japan Air Self-Defense Force
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AloJapan.com