KADENA AIR BASE, Okinawa — More than a dozen F-15C fighter jets from Kadena Air Base will deploy early Saturday for aerial combat and weapons evaluation training in Nevada and Florida.

The air crews will participate in Red Flag training at Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada and weapons evaluation training at Tyndall Air Force Base in Florida, the 18th Wing announced.

The jets will leave Kadena sometime between midnight and 4 a.m. Saturday with plans to stop at Hickam Air Force Base in Hawaii, the release said.

The early-morning departures come just four days after the conclusion of a hearing Wednesday in Fukuoka High Court in Naha regarding aircraft noise complaints.

Air Force leaders have said Saturday’s early-morning departures will allow pilots to refuel and land during daylight hours which is safer, especially during transoceanic flights.

"The leadership of the 18th Wing has examined every option, from transiting through Guam or Alaska to taking off during daylight hours. However, the existing plan maximizes pilot safety while allowing the Wing to accomplish its mission with the resources available," 18th Wing spokesman Maj. John Hutcheson said Thursday.

"Kadena Air Base leaders understand the impact of early morning departures on local communities and ask for their continued understanding, as these events are infrequent," he said.

During the deployment, F-15 flight activity at Kadena will be reduced by 18 flights a day, the release said, adding that the airmen will be deployed until mid-November.