F-16 Fighting Falcons with the Minnesota Air National Guard’s 148th Fighter Wing deployed to Kadena Air Base, Okinawa, from July to October 2024. (Glen Flanagan/U.S. Air Force)
A squadron of F-16 Fighting Falcons recently became the latest to complete a fighter rotation on Okinawa as Kadena Air Base awaits a permanent contingent of advanced aircraft.
The aircraft and airmen from the Minnesota Air National Guard’s 148th Fighter Wing were deployed to the island between July and this month, according to an Air Force news release Wednesday. They were called the 179th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron during their time in the Pacific.
“Having the 148th and other rotationally deployed fighters from across the globe highlights the importance of our strategic location in the Indo-Pacific,” Col. David Deptula, 18th Operations Group commander, said in the release.
The Air Force has rotated a series of fighter squadrons through Kadena to guarantee coverage at a base it calls the “keystone of the Pacific,” situated northeast of Taiwan on the eastern edge of the East China Sea.
The Department of Defense announced in July that 36 F-15EX Eagles will be permanently assigned to Kadena, though it’s unclear when that will happen.
F-22 Raptors, F-35 Lightning IIs, F-15E Strike Eagles and F-15Cs from bases across the United States, from Alaska to South Carolina, have taken turns at Kadena over the past two years.
“Not only does it provide a valuable opportunity for fourth and fifth generation fighters to integrate and train, but their presence also serves as a powerful deterrent to potential adversaries in the region,” Deptula said in the release.
The rotations started after the base began retiring its aging fleet of legacy F-15s in December 2022. The last of the legacy F-15s took off from Kadena on Aug. 15.
While in Japan, the Minnesota F-16s worked alongside Raptors and Eagles, participated in large-scale exercises and provided ready aircraft and pilots, according to the release.
“We are a combined force, so you get different experiences flying with the F-22 Raptor and local F-15 Eagles from the 18th Wing,” Lt. Col. Matt Zimniewicz, 179th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron commander, said in the release.
During the deployment, a small contingent of personnel and aircraft from the 179th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron participated in India’s largest multinational exercise, Tarang Shakti, the release said.
“The exercise was a great opportunity for us to run large force exercise events with the Indian Air Force,” Maj. Christopher Zeigler, a pilot, said in the release. “We don’t get to do this very often with other countries, so I think it was a really beneficial experience for our unit.”
