Japan Air Self-Defense Force

|aircraft_interceptor=F-15J |aircraft_recon= |aircraft_patrol= |aircraft_trainer=F-15DJ, T-7, T-400, T-4 |aircraft_transport=C-1, KC-767J, C-130H }}

The Japan Air Self-Defense Force (航空自衛隊, Kōkū Jieitai), or JASDF, is the aviation branch of the Japan Self-Defense Forces responsible for the defense of Japanese airspace and other aerospace operations.^[1] The JASDF carries out combat air patrols around Japan, while also maintaining an extensive network of ground and air early warning radar systems. The branch also has an aerobatic team known as Blue Impulse and has recently been involved in providing air transport in several UN peacekeeping missions.

The JASDF has an estimated 45,000 personnel in 2005. As of 2010, the JASDF operates 805 aircraft, 374 of them being fighter aircraft.

History

Formation

Before forming the Japanese Self-Defense Forces after World War II, Japan did not have a separate air force. Aviation operations were carried out by the Imperial Japanese Army Air Service and the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service. Following World War II the Imperial Japanese Army and Navy were dissolved and replaced by the JSDF with the passing of the 1954 Self-Defense Forces Law with the JASDF as the aviation branch.

Organization

Major units of the JASDF are the Air Defense Command, Air Support Command, Air Training Command, Air Development and Test Command, and Air Materiel Command. The Air Support Command is responsible for direct support of operational forces in rescue, transportation, control, weather monitoring and inspection. The Air Training Command is responsible for basic flying and technical training. The Air Development and Test Command, in addition to overseeing equipment research and development, is also responsible for research and development in such areas as flight medicine.

The Air Defense Command has northern, central, and western regional headquarters located at Misawa, Iruma, and Kasuga, respectively and the Southwestern Composite Air Division based at Naha on Okinawa. All four regional headquarters control surface-to-air missile units of both the JASDF and the JGSDF located in their respective areas.

Prime Minister of Japan
- Minister of Defense
  - JASDF Chief of Staff / Air Staff Office
    - Air Defense Command: Fuchu, Tokyo
      - Northern Air Defense Force: Misawa, Aomori
        2nd Air Wing (Chitose Air Base: 201SQ, F-15J/DJ, T-4; 203SQ, F-15J/DJ, T-4)
        
        3rd Air Wing (Misawa Air Base: 3SQ, F-2A/B T-4; 8SQ, F-2A/B, T-4)
        
        Northern Aircraft Control & Warning Wing
        
        3rd Air Defense Missile Group
        
        6th Air Defense Missile Group
      - Central Air Defense Force: Iruma, Saitama
        6th Air Wing (Komatsu Air Base: 303SQ, F-15J/DJ, T-4; 306SQ, F-15J/DJ, T-4)
        
        7th Air Wing (Hyakuri Air Base: 302SQ, F-4EJ-Kai, T-4; 305SQ, F-15J/DJ, T-4)
        
        Middle Aircraft Control & Warning Wing
        
        1st Air Defense Missile Group
        
        4th Air Defense Missile Group
        
        Iwo Jima Air Base Group
      - Western Air Defense Force: Kasuga, Fukuoka
        5th Air Wing (Nyutabaru Air Base: 301SQ, F-4EJ-Kai, T-4)
        
        8th Air Wing (Tsuiki Air Base: 304SQ, F-15J/DJ, T-4; 6SQ, F-2A/B, T-4)
        
        Western Aircraft Control & Warning Wing
        
        2nd Air Defense Missile Group
      - Southwestern Composite Air Division: Naha, Okinawa
        83d Air Wing (Naha Air Base: 204SQ, F-15J/DJ, T-4)
        
        Southwestern Aircraft Control & Warning Group
        
        5th Air Defense Missile Group
      - Airborne Early Warning Group: Misawa Air Base(E-2C), Hamamatsu Air Base(E-767)
      - Tactical Reconnaissance Group: Hyakuri Air Base(RF-4E, RF-4EJ)
      - Tactical Fighter Training Group: Nyutabaru Air Base(F-15DJ/J, T-4)
      - Air Defense Missile Training Group: Hamamatsu, Chitose
      - Air Defense Command Headquarters Flight Group (Iruma Air Base: U-4, YS-11EA,YS-11EB, T-4, EC-1)
  - Air Support Command: Fuchu, Tokyo
    - Air Rescue Wing (UH-60J, U-125A, CH-47J, KV-107)
    - 1st Tactical Airlift Wing (Komaki Air Base: 401SQ, C-130H; 404SQ, KC-767J)
    - 2nd Tactical Airlift Wing (Iruma Air Base: 402SQ, C-1, U-4)
    - 3rd Tactical Airlift Wing (Miho Air Base: 403SQ, C-1,YS-11NT/P; 41SQ, T-400)
    - Air Traffic Control Service Group
    - Air Weather Service Group
    - Flight Check Squadron (Iruma Air Base: U-125,YS-11FC)
    - Special Airlift Group (Chitose Air Base: B747-400)
  - Air Training Command: Hamamatsu, Shizuoka
    - 1st Air Wing (Hamamatsu Air Base: 31SQ, T-4; 32SQ, T-4)
    - 4th Air Wing (Matsushima Air Base: 21SQ, F-2B; 11SQ, T-4 Blue Impulse)
    - 11th Flying Training Wing (Shizuhama Air Base: 1SQ, T-7; 2SQ, T-7)
    - 12th Flying Training Wing (Hofu kita Air Base: 1SQ, T-7; 2SQ, T-7)
    - 13th Flying Training Wing (Ashiya Air Base: 1SQ, T-4; 2SQ, T-4)
    - Air Basic Training Wing
    - Flying Training Squadron (Nyutabaru Air Base: F-15DJ/J,T-4)
    - Air Training Aids Group
    - Air Officer Candidate School
    - 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th & 5th Technical School
  - Air Development and Test Command: Iruma Air Base, Saitama
    - Air Development and Test Wing (Gifu Air Base: F-15J/DJ, F-2A/B, C-1FTB, F-4EJ, F-4EJ-kai, T-7, T-4)
    - Electronics Development and Test Group
    - Aeromedical Laboratory
  - Air Material Command: Jujou, Tokyo
    - 1st, 2nd, 3rd & 4th Air Depot
  - Air Staff College
  - Air Communications and Systems Wing
  - Aerosafety Service Group
  - Central Air Base Group
  - Others

Equipment

The JASDF maintains an integrated network of radar installations and air defense direction centers throughout the country known as the Basic Air Defense Ground Environment. In the late 1980s, the system was modernized and augmented with E-2C Hawkeye airborne early warning aircraft.

The nation relies on fighter-interceptor aircraft and surface-to-air missiles to intercept hostile aircraft. Both of these systems were improved from the beginning of the late 1980s. Outmoded aircraft were replaced in the early 1990s with more sophisticated models, and Nike-J missiles have been replaced with the modern Patriot PAC-2 system.

The JASDF also provides air support for ground and sea operations of the JGSDF and the JMSDF and air defense for bases of all the forces. Although support fighter squadrons started being modernized in 1989, they lacked precision-guided weapons for support of ground operations and attacks on hostile ships, and JASDF pilots receive little flight training over oceans to prepare for maritime operations. Base defenses were upgraded in the late 1980s with new surface-to-air missiles, modern antiaircraft artillery and new fixed and mobile aircraft shelters.

The JASDF is not allowed to have strategic bombers for that would go against the self defense–only policy.

Aircraft inventory

The JASDF operates 805 aircraft, of which 374 are fighter aircraft.

Aircraft	Origin	Type	Versions	In service^[2]	Notes
Combat aircraft
Mitsubishi F-2	Japan	Fighter Fighter/Trainer	F-2A F-2B	49 33	Planned 94 + 4 prototype
Mitsubishi F-15 Eagle	United States Japan	Fighter Fighter/Trainer	F-15J F-15DJ	135 45	2 F-15J's & 12 F-15DJ's were built by US and the rest were built by Mitsubishi under license.
F-4 Phantom II	United States Japan	Fighter Reconnaissance	F-4EJ/EJ改 RF-4E/EJ	91 26	2 F-4EJ & RF-4s were built by US, remaining F-4EJs built by Mitsubishi under license. RF-4 version being phased out; equivalent number of F-15 to receive synthetic aperture radar pods
Trainer aircraft
Kawasaki T-4	Japan	Trainer		208
Raytheon Hawker 400	United States	Trainer	T-400	13
Fuji T-7	Japan	Trainer		48
Transport aircraft
C-130 Hercules	United States	Tactical transport	C-130H	15
Kawasaki C-1	Japan	Tactical transport Electronic warfare	C-1A EC-1	25 1
Boeing 767	United States	Airborne refueling	KC-767J	4
Boeing 747	United States	VIP transport (Japanese Air Force One/Two)	747-400	2
Gulfstream IV	United States	VIP transport	U-4	5
NAMC YS-11	Japan	Transport	YS-11	13
British Aerospace BAe 125	United Kingdom	Light transport	U-125A	32
AEW
Boeing E-767	United States	Airborne Early Warning & Control	E-767	4
Grumman E-2 Hawkeye	United States	Airborne Early Warning	E-2C	13
Transport/search and rescue helicopter
Boeing CH-47 Chinook	United States Japan	Transport helicopter	CH-47J	15	Built by Kawasaki under license.
Mitsubishi H-60	United States Japan	Search & rescue	UH-60J	32	3 UH-60J were built by US & remaining UH-60Js built by Mitsubishi under license.

Other equipment

Future equipment

Aircraft	Origin	Type	Versions	Number built	Notes
Mitsubishi ATD-X	Japan	Demo jet fighter	-	-	Maiden flight expected in 2014.^{[citation needed]}
Kawasaki C-2	Japan	Tactical airlift	-	1	Entering service in 2011. It is estimated that 30–50 will be produced.Currently this project is named C-X
F-X	-	Fighter	-	-	On 20 December 2011 the Japanese Government announced that it intended to purchase 42 F-35s^[3]

Sources: ^[4] ^[5]

On 14 November 2011, The Daily Telegraph reported that the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II was favored to win the F-X bid because of close security ties between Japan and United States. Japanese officials were also reported to be impressed with the F-35's stealth capabilities.^[6]

Past equipment

References and notes

^

This image is available from the United States Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division under the digital ID {{{id}}}
This tag does not indicate the copyright status of the attached work. A normal copyright tag is still required. See Wikipedia:Copyrights for more information.

^ http://www.milaviapress.com/orbat/japan/index.php
^ "Japan narrows F-X selection to F-35, Super Hornet F-18E/F Block II."
^ "Japan Weapons". Globalsecurity.org. Retrieved 2006-04-12.
^ "Japan Air Self-Defense Force". Globalsecurity.org. Retrieved 2006-08-06.
^ Ryall, Julian. "Eurofighter loses ground against F-35 in Japan contract race." Telegraph Media Group, 13 November 2011.

External links

Japan Air Self-Defense Force (Japanese) (English)

[1] 
This image is available from the United States Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division under the digital ID {{{id}}}
This tag does not indicate the copyright status of the attached work. A normal copyright tag is still required. See Wikipedia:Copyrights for more information.

[2] ttps://www.milaviapress.com/orbat/japan/index.php

[3] "Japan narrows F-X selection to F-35, Super Hornet F-18E/F Block II."

[4] "Japan Weapons". Globalsecurity.org. Retrieved 2006-04-12.

[5] "Japan Air Self-Defense Force". Globalsecurity.org. Retrieved 2006-08-06.

[6] Ryall, Julian. "Eurofighter loses ground against F-35 in Japan contract race." Telegraph Media Group, 13 November 2011.

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