AOMORI (Kyodo) -- The U.S. military will start deploying cutting-edge F-35A stealth fighter jets to northeastern Japan in the spring of 2026, a local government source has said.

The planned fighter deployment to Misawa Air Base in Aomori Prefecture is part of Washington's efforts to gradually modernize its military assets in Japan amid growing regional security challenges posed by China, North Korea and Russia.

The U.S. Defense Department said in July that 36 F-16 fighters set for retirement at the Misawa base would be replaced with 48 F-35As, but it has not officially announced a date.

The Japanese Defense Ministry has provided local governments with the latest information regarding the deployment after receiving it from the U.S. military, the source said recently.

The U.S. side has also said that some related facilities at the Misawa base such as hangars will need to be repaired or rebuilt, the source added.

The Misawa base's runway is jointly used by the U.S. military and Japan's Air Self-Defense Force, which already began stationing F-35As there in 2018 to deal with airspace violations and engage in surveillance of North Korea.

Local concern about noise pollution could grow as F-35As are louder than F-16s and the number of fighters deployed will increase.

Known as a fifth-generation fighter, the F-35A has stealth capabilities that allow it to evade radar detection and is equipped with a high-performance radar system that can detect ballistic missiles.