Brig. Gen. Nicholas Evans, commander of the 18th Wing, speaks with reporters inside a hangar at Kadena Air Base, Okinawa, March 21, 2025. (Keishi Koja/Stars and Stripes)

KADENA AIR BASE, Okinawa — The U.S. Air Force is expected to begin deploying F-15EX Eagle II fighters to the home of the 18th Wing in spring 2026, according to the wing commander.

The first of the multirole fighters are expected to arrive at Kadena between March and June next year, Brig. Gen. Nicholas Evans told reporters Friday in a hangar on the base’s flight line. Evans and wing Chief Master Sgt. Brandon Wolfgang spoke at a news conference ahead of America Fest.

A firm arrival date is being determined between the Air Force and aircraft manufacturer Boeing as production continues, Evans told reporters.

“As we get closer to the timeline, I expect we’ll get more fidelity on exactly when the first couple aircraft will show up,” he said.

In July, the Air Force announced it will permanently station 36 F-15EX Eagle IIs at Kadena to replace the base’s fleet of 48 F-15C/Ds, part of a broader plan to position more advanced fighter aircraft across Japan over the next several years.

The F-15EX, while not stealthy, features next-generation avionics and networking capabilities, flies faster and carries a larger payload with greater range than other fighters, according to Boeing.

The first lot of F-15EXs was estimated to cost the Air Force $90 million each, with a second lot priced at $97 million, Breaking Defense reported in September 2023.

The Air Force initially planned to acquire 144 of the aircraft but reduced the number to 98 in its fiscal year 2025 budget request, Air & Space Forces Magazine reported in August.

Congress has proposed 122 aircraft in its fiscal 2025 budget, which has yet to pass.

The first operational F-15EXs were unveiled in July at the Oregon Air National Guard base in Portland, marking the first time a National Guard unit received a new weapons system ahead of the active-duty Air Force, according to the Oregon Air Guard.

Tech. Sgt. Brian Robinson and Senior Airman Jaylen Platt, both weapons loaders with the 67th Fighter Generation Squadron at Kadena Air Base, Okinawa, load a trainer missile onto an F-15EX at Portland Air National Guard Base, Ore., Feb. 11, 2025. (Steph Sawyer/U.S. Air Force)

“As soon as the first EX arrives here, we’ll bring out the mayors and the city councils and let them see the aircraft firsthand,” Evans told reporters.

The ceremonial final flight of Kadena’s F-15C fleet took place Aug. 15, the wing announced at the time.

Kadena still has “a couple of F-15Cs left,” Evans said. The aircraft, which were on display at America Fest, are no longer flyable.

“We are using them to continue to train our weapons loaders and our maintainers, because there’s a lot of commonality between the F-15EX and the F-15C,” he said.

Since beginning to phase out its F-15C/D fleet in December 2022, the wing has relied on a rotating force of fourth- and fifth-generation fighters, including F-22 Raptors, F-35 Lightning IIs, and advanced F-16 Fighting Falcons, to counter aggressive moves by China and Russia.

The deployments will continue “throughout this F-15C to F-15EX transition,” Evans said.

“As the EX start to arrive and build in numbers, I would expect the rotational squadrons to start to decrease both in timing and tempo,” he said.

As of January, rotational forces at Kadena have included F-35A Lightning IIs from the 134th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron of the Vermont Air National Guard; F-16C Fighting Falcons from the 77th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron at Shaw Air Force Base, S.C.; and F-22 Raptors from the 525th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, according to the wing.

Each rotational squadron typically brings 12 to 14 aircraft to Kadena, Wolfgang said.

Evans also said the wing has briefed all commanders on the base about proper notifications for nighttime training. A unit conducted training involving simulated explosions and gunfire at night between Feb. 25-27 without prior wing-level approval, leading to complaints in nearby Kadena town.

“I’ll make a decision based on the importance of that training versus the impact of the local community,” he said.