Japan Declares F-35A Squadron Initial-Operation-Capable Written 1 April 2019

FlightGlobal reported that “Japan’s air force stood up its first operational F-35A fighter squadron, the 302nd Tactical Fighter Squadron, on 29 March.” The nation joins the US and other military services “with operational F-35 squadrons.” Vice Admiral Mat Winter said, “This is a major milestone for the F-35 enterprise, as it marks the first F-35 IOC for an Indo-Pacific region customer.” Added Winter, “This could not have happened without the hard work and collaboration between the F-35 JPO, the Japan F-35 programme, our industry partners and the Japanese Air Self Defense Force.”
More Info (FlightGlobal)