{"id":45435,"date":"2018-02-05T14:00:30","date_gmt":"2018-02-05T14:00:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/uncategorized\/2018\/02\/05\/f-35-put-through-its-paces-in-first-asia-pacific-deployment\/"},"modified":"2026-08-07T23:22:46","modified_gmt":"2026-08-07T23:22:46","slug":"f-35-put-through-its-paces-in-first-asia-pacific-deployment","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/news\/your-air-force\/2018\/02\/05\/f-35-put-through-its-paces-in-first-asia-pacific-deployment\/","title":{"rendered":"Air Force F-35 put through its paces in first Asia-Pacific deployment"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">WASHINGTON \u2014 Look at the skies above Kadena Air Base on the Japanese island of Okinawa and twice daily you\u2019ll get a glimpse of U.S. Air Force F-35 fighter jets taking off, only to land several hours later. Watch the base itself and you\u2019ll see maintainers working round the clock to ensure the service\u2019s newest fighter jets are ready to go.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It\u2019s been about three months since more than 300 airmen relocated from Hill Air Force Base, Utah, to Japan for the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.defensenews.com\/air\/2017\/10\/23\/air-force-f-35s-coming-to-japan-in-november\/\" title=\"\" class=\"\" target=\"_blank\">F-35A conventional takeoff and landing model\u2019s first-ever stint in the Asia-Pacific<\/a>. The first of 12 jets arrived at Kadena in late October for a six-month deployment \u2014 the longest period the 34th Fighter Squadron has spent away from home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Although the Lockheed Martin-manufactured jets <a href=\"https:\/\/www.defensenews.com\/air\/2017\/12\/05\/f-35-loses-aircraft-panel-during-training-flight-near-okinawa\/\" title=\"\" class=\"\" target=\"_blank\">haven\u2019t made a lot of news<\/a> since their arrival in Japan, the pace of operations has been relentless.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><b><a href=\"https:\/\/www.defensenews.com\/digital-show-dailies\/singapore-airshow\/\" title=\"\" class=\"\" target=\"_blank\">Click here for more coverage from the Singapore Airshow.<\/a><\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe\u2019re approaching 1,000 flight hours and 500 sorties, we\u2019ll probably have that here in the next week and a half or two weeks,\u201d Master Sgt. Brian Sarafin, F-35A production superintendent for the 34th Aircraft Maintenance Unit, told Defense News in a Jan. 24 interview. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On any given day, the 12 F-35s at Kadena could be expected to make anywhere from 12 to 14 total sorties, meaning every plane must be quickly inspected and repaired so it is ready to fly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThey have been doing a lot of flying with the F-15s here stationed at Kadena. That\u2019s almost a daily thing \u2015 that they will meet up with F-15s from here,\u201d Sarafin said. \u201cAnd I believe that they\u2019ve also met up with the [Japan Air Self-Defense Force] airplanes a time or two as well.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/digital-show-dailies\/singapore-airshow\/2018\/01\/30\/japan-base-welcomes-1st-deployed-f-35a-but-industry-hiccups-delay-fighters-supplies\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/JASDF_F35A_Misawa_180126-F-FK724-1131_crop.JPG.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">Japan base welcomes 1st deployed F-35A, but industry hiccups delay fighter\u2019s supplies<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">It has been reported that Japanese-made parts that were to be included in the fighters have not actually been used so far.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">About 20 F-35A pilots relocated to Okinawa, and they fly about two to three times a week, said Capt. Ryan Huber, the 34th Fighter Squadron\u2019s flight commander. Most of those hours are spent training, but pilots also participate in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.airforcetimes.com\/news\/your-air-force\/2017\/12\/03\/air-force-f-22s-f-35s-deploy-to-korea-for-vigilant-ace-exercise\/\" title=\"\" class=\"\" target=\"_blank\">exercises like Vigilant Ace<\/a>, held in South Korea in December, where operators got to practice skills such as enemy infiltration and precision strike with U.S. military and South Korean jets. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cSome of my flights included operations with our USAF F-15C Eagle counterparts and Republic of Korea F-16s,\u201d he said. \u201cThe experience was enlightening, as it allowed us to learn the intricacies of each other\u2019s operating capabilities to further strengthen what we bring as a whole to the fight.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A normal workweek for maintainers goes like this: Every morning, usually from Monday to Friday, several jets will fly a mission of about one to two hours in length. A morning shift of maintainers will be on hand to help launch and recover those jets, as well as to turn them for the second set of flights later that afternoon, Sarafin said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A second \u201cswing shift\u201d of maintainers will come in before the second round of sorties have landed, and once those aircraft are back on the ground, they will begin necessary repairs to get the jets back into the air the following day. That work is continued by a third shift of maintainers, who clock in at about midnight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/4074066.jpg.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-83038\" srcset=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/4074066.jpg.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/4074066.jpg.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/4074066.jpg.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/4074066.jpg.jpg?resize=1024,683 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Japan Air Self-Defense Force Maj. Gen. Koji Imaki, Air Defense Command&#8217;s defense and operations division chief, tours a U.S. Air Force F-35 on January 12, 2018, at Kadena Air Base, Japan. While attending the event, senior officers, warfighters and F-35A experts discussed how to integrate the new 5th generation aircraft into multilateral air operations. The F-35s deployed to Kadena AB are part of a routine theater security package. (Senior Airman Omari Bernard\/U.S. Air Force)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIt\u2019s a big revolving door every single day to make sure our aircraft are ready,\u201d Sarafin said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><b>The Air Force\u2019s data sponge<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Tensions between the U.S. and North Korea exploded over the past year as North Korea ramped up testing of intercontinental ballistic missiles, including the Hwasong-15, which the North claims can hit the continental United States. U.S. President Donald Trump\u2019s own comments promising \u201cfire and fury\u201d have kicked off debate about the administration\u2019s willingness to escalate to a full-blown war.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Amid this delicate geopolitical landscape, the U.S. Air Force has been careful to characterize its F-35 operations at Kadena as a \u201clong-planned deployment \u2026 designed to demonstrate the continuing U.S. commitment to stability and security in the region,\u201d as it noted in an October news release. The deployment had been in the works since 2016, when Deborah Lee James, then the Air Force secretary under the Obama administration, announced that the \u201cA\u201d models could travel to the Asia-Pacific as early as 2017.<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/pentagon\/2018\/01\/31\/former-secdef-hagel-north-korea-bloody-nose-strike-a-gamble-he-wouldnt-make\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/hagelresize.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">Former SecDef Hagel: North Korea bloody nose strike a \u2018gamble\u2019 he wouldn\u2019t make<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">Former Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel thinks a U.S. strike against North Korea would likely trigger a war that leaves millions dead. \u201cLet\u2019s be smarter,\u201d he said in an exclusive interview with Defense News.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Although the aircraft would be available in case of a contingency \u2014 and although the collection of B-2 and B-1 bombers in Guam, F-35s in Japan, and F-15s in South Korea send a powerful message to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un about the U.S. military\u2019s capabilities \u2014 it\u2019s unlikely that the U.S. Air Force will operate its F-35s in an attempt to provoke North Korea, said John Venable, a senior fellow for the Heritage Foundation and a former F-16 pilot. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI don\u2019t think we\u2019re going to pulse the boundary,\u201d he said. \u201cI don\u2019t think that there will be anything inflammatory done in an overt posturing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But the F-35s operating in Japan \u2014 the Air Force\u2019s \u201cA\u201d models at Kadena as well as the Marine Corps\u2019 F-35Bs, which will deployed aboard the amphibious assault ship Wasp this year \u2014 could still play a vital role in enhancing the U.S. military\u2019s understanding of North Korea\u2019s own military activities, especially given the jet\u2019s classified electronic warfare package and data fusion capability that brings together imagery from the aircraft\u2019s myriad active and passive sensors. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI don\u2019t know if it\u2019s actually monitoring the television channels that people are watching in their homes or if, as soon of they get airborne, they start doing a really good assessment of what\u2019s happening in the North,\u201d Venable said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWhen you have the guys out on the Wasp and they\u2019re flying, if they\u2019re flying 100 miles off the coast of North Korea, you can bet your bottom dollar that they\u2019re scooping up gobs and gobs of information of what\u2019s going on inside the peninsula and then the northern side of the peninsula. And the same thing is going on with the [\u2019A\u2019 models].\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><b>Go ask ALIS<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Although agencies like the Government Accountability Office and the Pentagon\u2019s independent weapons tester have <a href=\"https:\/\/www.defensenews.com\/air\/2018\/01\/18\/air-force-acquisition-nominee-takes-aim-at-f-35-sustainment-costs\/\" title=\"\" class=\"selected-link\">criticized the F-35 program for spare parts shortages and aircraft availability problems<\/a>, Sarafin said the 34th hasn\u2019t run into any major complications during its deployment in Japan.<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/air\/2018\/01\/25\/pentagons-weapons-tester-slams-new-f-35-modernization-plan-as-unrealistic\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/f-35b-taking-off.jpg_71ea27.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">Pentagon\u2019s weapons tester slams new F-35 modernization plan as unrealistic<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">A new report raises questions about how the Pentagon could execute the next phase of the  F-35 program.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe haven\u2019t had major surprises since we\u2019ve been here. The jets have been performing pretty well, and we have not had many maintenance nondeliveries. When we first got here, we went over 130 sorties without dropping a single one, which was great for us and kind of unheard of for a new platform like that,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">So far, the most critical challenge on the maintenance side has been setting up the aircraft\u2019s Autonomic Logistics Information System, which allows operators to order spare parts, walk through maintenance procedures and plan missions. The 34th is using the latest version, ALIS 2.0.2.4, during this deployment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIt\u2019s much quicker. We have a lot of access to all the data we need on the aircraft,\u201d Sarafin said. \u201cIs it a perfect system? No, but it\u2019s much better than it has been in the past few years.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">During the first days of the deployment, maintenance crews had difficulty readying the supply system and getting parts delivered on time due to customs hiccups. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But \u201cit\u2019s been hashed out fairly quickly,\u201d said Sarafin, adding that the squadron did not lose any sorties due to a lack of parts. \u201cWe\u2019re operating here almost as efficiently as we do at home station now.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">One of the new features of ALIS 2.0.2 allows the user to view and monitor data from the aircraft\u2019s Pratt &amp; Whitney F135 engine, which was developed specifically for the F-35. Before getting the current ALIS version, maintainers would have to download the engine data, burn it to a disc and then hand it over to a Pratt &amp; Whitney employee, who would look at the data and ensure that the engine was safe to fly the next sortie. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIt was a time-consuming process. Sometimes you\u2019re talking two to four hours to get the data, which could then delay your time and [decrease] the possibility of having an aircraft ready the next year,\u201d he said. Now, because engine data flows through ALIS, it can be downloaded in five to ten minutes after the plane lands.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Air Force&#8217;s F-35A model is halfway through its first deployment to the Asia-Pacific. How is it doing?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":83035,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-nofollow":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_acf":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":67,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","_smg_distribution_targets":[]},"categories":[101,16,26,67],"tags":[],"coauthors":[3305],"class_list":["post-45435","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-daily-news-roundup","category-news","category-newsletters","category-your-air-force"],"acf":{"subheadline":"","legacy_arc_id":"QFJMMEBNIVF6NOVSWZYETHJ3AQ","arc_canonical_url":"\/digital-show-dailies\/singapore-airshow\/2018\/02\/05\/f-35-put-through-its-paces-in-first-asia-pacific-deployment\/","remove_feature_photo":false,"is_sponsored":false,"subtype":"","redirect_url":"","disable_inline_ads":false,"native_logo_pretext":"Presented By:"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.0 (Yoast SEO v28.1) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Air Force F-35 put through its paces in first Asia-Pacific deployment - Air Force TImes<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The Air Force&#039;s F-35A model is halfway through its first deployment to the Asia-Pacific. 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How is it doing?\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/news\/your-air-force\/2018\/02\/05\/f-35-put-through-its-paces-in-first-asia-pacific-deployment\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Air Force TImes\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2018-02-05T14:00:30+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-08-07T23:22:46+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Valerie Insinna\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Valerie Insinna\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"7 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\n\t    \"@context\": \"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\n\t    \"@graph\": [\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"Article\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/airforcetimes\\\/news\\\/your-air-force\\\/2018\\\/02\\\/05\\\/f-35-put-through-its-paces-in-first-asia-pacific-deployment\\\/#article\",\n\t            \"isPartOf\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/airforcetimes\\\/news\\\/your-air-force\\\/2018\\\/02\\\/05\\\/f-35-put-through-its-paces-in-first-asia-pacific-deployment\\\/\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"author\": {\n\t                \"name\": \"migration\",\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/airforcetimes\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/cc76c831bb37a926738c8391fca7a3b1\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"headline\": \"Air Force F-35 put through its paces in first Asia-Pacific deployment\",\n\t            \"datePublished\": \"2018-02-05T14:00:30+00:00\",\n\t            \"dateModified\": \"2026-08-07T23:22:46+00:00\",\n\t            \"mainEntityOfPage\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/airforcetimes\\\/news\\\/your-air-force\\\/2018\\\/02\\\/05\\\/f-35-put-through-its-paces-in-first-asia-pacific-deployment\\\/\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"wordCount\": 1486,\n\t            \"commentCount\": 0,\n\t            \"publisher\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/airforcetimes\\\/#organization\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"image\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/airforcetimes\\\/news\\\/your-air-force\\\/2018\\\/02\\\/05\\\/f-35-put-through-its-paces-in-first-asia-pacific-deployment\\\/#primaryimage\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"thumbnailUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/4003158.jpg.jpg\",\n\t            \"articleSection\": [\n\t                \"Daily News Roundup\",\n\t                \"News\",\n\t                \"Newsletters\",\n\t                \"Your Air Force\"\n\t            ],\n\t            \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t            \"potentialAction\": [\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"CommentAction\",\n\t                    \"name\": \"Comment\",\n\t                    \"target\": [\n\t                        \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/airforcetimes\\\/news\\\/your-air-force\\\/2018\\\/02\\\/05\\\/f-35-put-through-its-paces-in-first-asia-pacific-deployment\\\/#respond\"\n\t                    ]\n\t                }\n\t            ]\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"WebPage\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/airforcetimes\\\/news\\\/your-air-force\\\/2018\\\/02\\\/05\\\/f-35-put-through-its-paces-in-first-asia-pacific-deployment\\\/\",\n\t            \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/airforcetimes\\\/news\\\/your-air-force\\\/2018\\\/02\\\/05\\\/f-35-put-through-its-paces-in-first-asia-pacific-deployment\\\/\",\n\t            \"name\": \"Air Force F-35 put through its paces in first Asia-Pacific deployment - 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