F-22 Raptor experiences landing gear issue at Kadena Air Base in Japan

An F-22 Raptor belonging to the US Air Force experienced a problem with its nose gear on April 11, 2024, while at Kadena Air Base in Okinawa, Japan.  

Citing eyewitnesses and the Okinawa Defense Bureau, Okinawa Television reported that at around 10:30 a.m. local time, an F-22 Raptor that landed at Kadena Air Base was being towed from runway 23L/5R with its engines stopped when it experienced a landing gear issue. Emergency response vehicles arrived at the scene, but no fire was present. 

The F-22 fighter belonged to the 19th Fighter Squadron, 15th Wing, stationed at Hickam Air Force Base in Honolulu, Hawaii. Several Raptors had been temporarily deployed to Okinawa on April 5, 2024, to ensure readiness in the region. 

AeroTime sent a request for comment to the 18th Wing, the host unit at Kadena AB, but no response was received before publication. 

In October 2022, the United States Department of Defense announced that the permanent presence of USAF F-15 fighters in Japan would be phased out and replaced by other fighters on a rotational basis. 

Republican lawmakers questioned this decision, sending an open letter to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin to voice their concerns. They argued that “plans to replace permanently-based fighters with rotational forces will lead to a tangible reduction in American forward combat power in the Indo-Pacific, lowering the bar for aggression.”