US F-35s are covering new ground in Southeast Asia

US Air Force F-35s made several first-of-their-kind appearances in Southeast Asia in early March, a reflection of the US’s focus on bolstering its relationships in the region in an effort to counter China’s growing influence.

On March 1, two F-35As from the Alaska-based 356th Fighter Squadron touched down at Brunei’s Rimba Air Base. It was the first visit by US fifth-generation jets to Brunei, according to the US Air Force, which said the milestone “represents a new model of international cooperation, ensuring US and coalition partner security well into the 21st century.”

Days later, the F-35s took part in bilateral training with the Republic of Singapore Air Force “for the first time,” working with Singaporean F-15s and F-16s in "various training scenarios to enhance trust and increase interoperability” between March 4 and 7, the US Air Force said in a press release.

“What's new for us is that this is the first time the 356th Fighter Squadron has conducted day-to-day operations at Paya Lebar [Air Base], flying with the RSAF out to [their] airspace,” Lt. Col. Erik Gonsalves, director of operations for the squadron, said in the release.

As that training wrapped up in Singapore, F-35s from another Alaska-based unit arrived in Thailand for this year’s Cope Tiger exercise, during which US, Thai, and Singaporean forces will train together in the second half of the month.

Cope Tiger has been held annually since the mid-1990s, but this year US fifth-generation jets will participate for the first time, according to US Pacific Air Forces, which said the exercise “contributes to US Indo-Pacific Command’s strategic vision of strengthening alliances and partnerships to ensure regional peace and prosperity.”

“Participating service members have the unique opportunity to fly over Thailand’s airspace while training with air defense units,” PACAF said.

US Air Force jets are a regular sight around the Western Pacific. The service has major bases in South Korea and Japan and is working to expand the number of places it can operate from in the region. Islands in the central Pacific have been a focus of that effort, but the new PACAF commander, who took over on February 9, has said the search for outposts is ongoing.

The arrival of US jets coincided with another round of visits from senior US officials seeking to bolster relationships in Southeast Asia, a strategically important region where countries have longstanding ties to both the US and China but are generally wary of getting caught up in those countries’ intensifying rivalry.

In Brunei, the F-35s were greeted by Jed Royal, the principal deputy assistant secretary of defense, and Maj. Gen. Mark Weber, the Air National Guard assistant to the PACAF commander, who were making official visits "to meet with senior Bruneian officials on securities initiatives amidst the 40th anniversary of US-Brunei diplomatic relations,” the US Embassy in Brunei said.

While US and Singaporean pilots trained together, Adm. John Aquilino, the head of Indo-Pacific Command, arrived in Singapore for a five-day visit to “increase shared understanding of regional challenges and strengthen the expansive and enduring” bilateral relationship, the command said.

US F-35s touched down in Thailand amid a flurry of activity in US-Thai relations. The jets arrived as Cobra Gold 24, a military exercise co-hosted by the US and Thailand for more than 40 years, wrapped up. This year’s iteration of the world’s longest-running international military exercise included nearly 10,000 participants from some 30 countries.

The exercise kicked off in late February as US and Thai officials held a series of meetings, including the second US-Thai Strategic and Defense Dialogue, which was first held in 2022. The meeting was co-chaired this year by Royal and Daniel Kritenbrink, the assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs.

Royal, whose trip to the region included a stop in Cambodia, said after returning that his "engagements across Southeast Asia underscored the real momentum we're seeing between the United States and our partners in the region.”