The F-35’s Combat Radius Is 670 Miles — Northern Japan to the Taiwan Strait Is 1,200 Miles, and China Knows It

The F-35’s Combat Radius Is 670 Miles — Northern Japan to the Taiwan Strait Is 1,200 Miles, and China Knows It

Summary and Three Key Points: On March 28, 2026, the 13th Fighter Squadron’s F-35A Lightning II aircraft arrived at Misawa Air Base in northern Japan, marking the squadron’s transition to fifth-generation airpower and the permanent stationing of the U.S. Joint Force’s most advanced tactical aircraft in northern Japan — a forward-positioning move explicitly intended to reduce the distance F-35s must transit in a Pacific contingency. The problem t…