B-1Bs have landed at Misawa Air Base for the U.S. Air Force’s first-ever Bomber Task Force rotation based in Japan, Pacific Air Forces and Air Force Global Strike Command said.
The Lancers, from Dyess Air Force Base in Texas, touched down at Misawa on April 15, having already flown a training mission with South Korean fighters earlier that day.
The Air Force introduced the Bomber Task Force concept in 2018 after it ended its continuous overseas bomber presence. Pentagon officials tout the BTF rotations, which can last several months, as a way to operate with more flexibility while being less predictable, and Air Force officials have steadily expanded the number of locations where they have based bombers.
In the Indo-Pacific, the Air Force had previously hosted Bomber Task Forces in Guam, Australia, and Diego Garcia. From there, bombers had flown missions to and over Indonesia, South Korea, and the Philippines.
Bombers have also landed in Japan before—a B-52 made an emergency landing at Yokota Air Base in April 2024, and B-1s conducting the first BTF of 2025 from Guam landed at Misawa in February for hot-pit refueling.
But this is the first time the B-1 will be based out of Misawa for a rotation. It’s also one of the first times in decades that the Air Force has positioned bombers in Japan for more than a few days. In the 1960s, B-52s were stationed at Kadena Air Base on Okinawa as part of the Vietnam War.
“BTF 25-2 showcases the U.S. commitment to deterring threats and maintaining regional stability,” said Lt. Col. Christopher Travelstead, director of operations for the deployed squadron. “These missions in the Indo-Pacific ensure our B-1 crews are highly trained and ready to respond anytime, anywhere, to defend U.S. interests and support our allies, securing a stable Indo-Pacific—where all nations operate freely under a rules-based order while promoting global peace and prosperity.”
The B-1s also add to the U.S. bomber presence in the Indo-Pacific; six B-2s are currently stationed on Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean.
