USAF sends F-22s to Japan for deterrence exercise

The Air Force sent its most advanced stealth fighter to Japan this month to fly in a training exercise aimed at deterrence and maintaining security in the region.
F-22s flew from Kadena Air Base as part of exercise Keen Sword, underway from Nov. 8 through Nov. 19, as tensions in the area have risen over maritime disputes in the South China Sea. The F-22s are from the 525th Fighter Squadron at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska.
Keen Sword is a bilateral exercise that has been held biennially since 1986.
Air Force F-22s have recently been active in training exercises in the region, serving as a deterrence to North Korea and as a show of force to China. Last spring, F-22s were sent to Osan Air Base, South Korea, to participate in exercise Foal Eagle, a large-scale drill alongside South Korean forces.
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