Japan Deploys F-15J Fighters and Support Aircraft to NATO Bases in North America and Europe

Four F-15J fighters from Japan’s 2nd Air Wing completed a transatlantic deployment between Sept. 14 and Oct. 1 under the mission name Atlantic Eagles. The route linked Eielson Air Force Base in Alaska, Canadian Forces Base Goose Bay, RAF Coningsby and RAF Brize Norton in the United Kingdom, and Laage Air Base in Germany. The Japan Air Self-Defense Force moved with a small support fleet and about 180 personnel. The service described the trip as a friendly visit built around unit-to-unit exchanges and training with counterpart squadrons.

The movement marked the first fighter deployment to Europe in JASDF’s 71-year history. Two Eagles landed at RAF Coningsby on Sept. 18, with the remaining aircraft and support elements reaching the U.K. over Sept. 17-19, then continuing to Germany. The mission closed on Oct. 1 with a return to Chitose Air Base.

Defense officials confirm the itinerary used Alaska and Canada for refueling and staging, the U.K. for bilateral activities with the Royal Air Force, and northern Germany for events hosted with the Luftwaffe’s leadership. The JASDF Chief of Staff attended Laage with the head of the German Air Force during the German leg of the visit.

Atlantic Eagles route across Eielson, Goose Bay, RAF Coningsby and Brize Norton, and Laage

Chitose-based Eagles launched across the North Pacific to Eielson AFB, then crossed to Goose Bay, a long-used ferry node for transatlantic fighters. The aircraft was routed to RAF Coningsby in Lincolnshire, with support elements staged at RAF Brize Norton, before continuing to Laage. The JASDF scheduled the mission for Sept. 14-Oct. 1 and kept to that window.

The first C-2 transport arrived in the U.K. on Sept. 17 to position ground equipment ahead of fighter arrivals. Two F-15Js touched down at Coningsby on Sept. 18, with additional aircraft and crews following. Open-source tracking and official imagery placed tankers and transports at Brize Norton while the fighters conducted exchanges at Coningsby.

Germany served as the European terminus. The Luftwaffe received the Japanese detachment at Laage and used the stop to underline bilateral air cooperation at the leadership level. The JASDF Chief of Staff and the Luftwaffe’s Inspector met there and noted the first arrival of Kōkū-Jieitai fighters in Germany.

A brief return routing mirrored the westbound path, with the package exiting Europe and stepping back through the U.K., Canada and Alaska. The service announced completion on Oct. 1, confirming the aircraft returned to Hokkaidō without incident.

F-15J fighters, KC-46A and KC-767 tankers, C-2 transports, and 180 JASDF personnel

The composition published ahead of the mission listed eight aircraft: four Mitsubishi F-15J fighters from the 2nd Air Wing at Chitose, one KC-46A Pegasus, one KC-767 aerial refueler, and two Kawasaki C-2 transports drawn from Iruma and Miho. Personnel strength stood at about 180 from the fighter wing and participating airlift units. The release set the aircraft allocation by wing and base.

Support crews moved toolkits, spares and role equipment into place before fighter legs. This enabled quick servicing at each stop and limited ground time for the Eagles. The U.K. concentrated JASDF tankers and transports at Brize Norton, the RAF’s principal air mobility hub, to streamline refueling and cargo handling while the fighters worked at Coningsby.

According to industry sources, the selected F-15Js come from squadrons earmarked for the F-15 Japan Super Interceptor upgrade, which introduces the APG-82 AESA radar, EPAWSS electronic warfare, and a new mission computer. Contracting on the U.S. side moved forward in late 2024 through foreign military sales, with additional actions reported this year. The hardware set aligns with equipment on recent U.S. Eagle variants.

The tanker pairing mirrors JASDF’s current fleet. The KC-767 has supported Pacific and long-range events for years. The newer KC-46A, introduced in JASDF service more recently, provided boom refueling and long-leg capacity on the transoceanic sectors. Official trip materials list one of each.

Participating units and aircraft (as issued by the JASDF):

2nd Air Wing (Chitose): 4 × F-15J
1st Tactical Airlift Wing (Komaki): 1 × KC-767
2nd Tactical Airlift Group (Iruma): 1 × C-2
3rd Tactical Airlift Wing (Miho): 1 × C-2 and 1 × KC-46A
Personnel: about 180

RAF and Luftwaffe engagements and what the deployment tested

Events in the U.K. centered on Coningsby’s fighter community, with Japanese Eagles parking alongside RAF Typhoons. The RAF highlighted the historic nature of the arrival and pointed to a mission window from Sept. 14 to Oct. 1. Imagery released during the stay showed JASDF fighters on the Coningsby ramp and support assets operating at Brize Norton.

The German stop included a joint appearance by the JASDF Chief of Staff and the Luftwaffe’s Inspector, Lieutenant General Holger Neumann. The visit capped the European portion and fit a pattern of reciprocal visits and exercises since 2022. The JASDF noted the “first arrival” of its fighters in Germany as a shared milestone with its German counterpart.

Defense officials confirm the program emphasized unit-level exchanges rather than large multilateral drills. The U.K. portion featured ground engagements, safety briefs, maintenance walk-arounds, and coordination on procedures for transiting national airspace. The Germany portion added leadership events and base familiarization to set conditions for future activity.

The trial also touched on air mobility and logistics. The C-2s pre-positioned gear, and the two tanker types kept the route flexible across weather and airspace constraints. Sequencing of arrivals into the U.K. and Germany reflected host-base slotting and the need to deconflict local flying programs.

UK-Japan cooperation, GCAP links, and intended outcomes

Tokyo and London have expanded bilateral defense work across air and maritime domains. A recent ministerial statement flagged the Atlantic Eagles window and placed it within a broader set of engagements, including a carrier strike group visit and repeat air exercises near Japan. Government communiqués around late August and early September recorded the same theme and pointed to accelerated efforts on next-generation combat air.

On the industrial track, GCAP progressed through a trilateral joint statement in July and later announcements in September on program structures and electronics working groups. Ministers have spoken about a goal to conclude a first international GCAP contract by the end of 2025. Separate industry actions this year include team constructs for sensors, mission systems and fuselage integration.

The deployment’s narrow aim centered on fighter movement, refueling and host-base cooperation, not procurement. Still, hardware modernization forms the backdrop. The F-15J JSI path-AESA radar, updated self-protection and processing keep the air-defense fleet relevant during this decade as Japan expands F-35 operations and explores GCAP roles. The contract actions visible on the U.S. side in late 2024 mapped to that package and continue to be referenced in public releases.

The itinerary did three practical things. It validated crews and ground teams on a ferry profile that crosses both the North Pacific and the North Atlantic. It rehearsed bed-down and servicing at two major RAF stations with different missions, fighter operations at Coningsby and air mobility at Brize Norton, then repeated those disciplines at Laage. It also set a leadership-level touchpoint in Germany without overextending the schedule or the support fleet.

The JASDF framed the trip as linking Euro-Atlantic and Indo-Pacific security and cited the value of direct exchanges with host squadrons. The RAF echoed “first fighter deployment to Europe” in its coverage and tied the arrival to expanding bilateral air cooperation.

Japan Deploys F-15J Fighters and Support Aircraft to NATO Bases in North America and Europe

Atlantic Eagles route across Eielson, Goose Bay, RAF Coningsby and Brize Norton, and Laage

F-15J fighters, KC-46A and KC-767 tankers, C-2 transports, and 180 JASDF personnel

RAF and Luftwaffe engagements and what the deployment tested

UK-Japan cooperation, GCAP links, and intended outcomes

REFERENCE SOURCES

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