Japan's Kyodo News agency reports that the United States plans to deploy 16 stealth F-35 fighters to a US military base in western Japan next year.

The Japanese government has informed officials in the city of Iwakuni in Yamaguchi prefecture, where the air base is located. It would be the first time that the U.S. has stationed stealth aircraft overseas.

High-ranking officials from Japan's defense and foreign ministries visited Iwakuni and informed the mayor as well as the governor of Yamaguchi of the planned deployment. The plan is to first deploy ten F-35 jets in January and a further six in August.