Japan Air Self Defence Force

Japan Air Self-Defense Force
航空自衛隊, 日本国空軍
Founded July 1, 1954
Country Japan
Size 45,000 personnel (2005)
805 aircraft[1] (2010)
Part of Japan Self-Defense Forces
Commanders
Current
commander		 General Kenichiro Sono
Insignia
Roundel Japan Air Self-Defense Force roundel.svg
Ensign Flag of JASDF.png
Aircraft flown
Attack F-2
Electronic
warfare		 E-767, EC-1, E-2C
Fighter F-4EJ, F-15J F-2
Helicopter UH-60J, CH-47J, KV-107
Interceptor F-15J
Trainer T-7, T-400, T-4
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.[2] 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.

Contents

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 Material 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 ASDF and the GSDF 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 Training Command: Hamamatsu, Shizuoka
      • 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 ASDF 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 ASDF also provides air support for ground and sea operations of the GSDF and the MSDF 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 ASDF 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.

They are not allowed to have strategic bombers for that would go against the self defense–only policy.

See also List of military aircraft of Japan

Aircraft inventory

The Mitsubishi F-2 support fighter. Primary fighter aircraft of the Japan Air Self Defense Force
T-4 Training aircraft in Iwakuni base
JASDF C-1 displayed at Komaki AB
UH-60J, Training Squadron, Japan Air Self-Defense Force

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

Aircraft Origin Type Versions In service[3] Notes
Combat aircraft
Mitsubishi F-2  Japan Fighter
Fighter/Trainer		 F-2A
F-2B		 44
33		 Planned 94 + 4 prototype
F-4 Phantom II  United States
 Japan		 Fighter
Reconnaissance		 F-4EJ
RF-4E		 91
26		 2 F-4EJ and RF-4s were built by US, remaining F-4EJs by built Mitsubishi under license. RF-4 version being phased out; equivalent number of F-15 to receive synthetic aperture radar pods
F-15 Eagle  United States
 Japan		 Fighter
Fighter/Trainer		 F-15J
F-15DJ		 135
45		 2 F-15J's and 12 F-15DJ's were built by US and the rest were built by Mitsubishi under license.
Trainer aircraft
Fuji T-7  Japan Trainer 49
Raytheon Hawker 400  United States Trainer T-400 13
Kawasaki T-4  Japan Trainer 208
Transport aircraft
Boeing 747  United States VIP transport (Japanese Air Force One/Two) 747-400 2
Gulfstream IV  United States VIP transport U-4 5
Boeing 767  United States Airborne refueling KC-767J 4
Kawasaki C-1  Japan Tactical transport
Electronic warfare		 C-1A
EC-1		 25
1
C-130 Hercules  United States Tactical transport C-130H 15
NAMC YS-11  Japan Transport YS-11 13
British Aerospace BAe 125  United Kingdom Search and rescue U-125A 32
AEW
Grumman E-2 Hawkeye  United States Airborne Early Warning E-2C 13
Boeing E-767  United States Airborne Early Warning & Control E-767 4
Transport/Search and Rescue Helicopter
Mitsubishi H-60  United States
 Japan		 Search and rescue UH-60J 32 3 UH-60J were built by US and remaining UH-60Js built by Mitsubishi under license.
Boeing CH-47 Chinook  United States
 Japan		 Transport helicopter CH-47J 15 Built by Kawasaki 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-X  Japan Tactical airlift - 1 Entering service in 2010. It is estimated that 30–50 will be produced.
F-X - Fighter - - The Japan Ministry of Defense has postponed a final decision to order the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II in light of delays in this project.[4]

Sources: [5] [6]

Past equipment

See also

References and notes

  1. ^ http://www.milaviapress.com/orbat/japan/index.php
  2. ^  This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the Library of Congress Country Studies.
  3. ^ http://www.milaviapress.com/orbat/japan/index.php
  4. ^ Order for next-generation stealth fighters postponed again
  5. ^ "Japan Weapons". Globalsecurity.org. http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/japan/weapons.htm. Retrieved 2006-04-12. 
  6. ^ "Japan Air Self-Defense Force". Globalsecurity.org. http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/japan/aircraft.htm. Retrieved 2006-08-06. 

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