READY IN JAPAN: Quite a show. From the Pentagon caption: “Twelve U.S. Air Force F-16CM Fighting Falcons, 12 Japan Air Self-Defense Force F-35A Lightning IIs, two U.S. Navy EA-18G Growlers, a U.S. Navy C-12 Huron, two U.S. Air Force MC-130J Commando IIs, and a U.S. Navy P-8 Poseidon participate in an elephant walk at Misawa Air Base, Japan, June 22, 2020.” The caption goes on to say the photo records Misawa’s first “bilateral and joint elephant walk.” This article from January 2020 discusses F-35 acquisition by Japan and Singapore. Both countries are purchasing F-35As and F-35Bs (the vertical takeoff and landing variant). Here’s a USMC F-35B taking off from Futenma, Okinawa.