Everything about Japan Air Self-defense Force totally explained
The, or
JASDF, is the
aviation branch of the
Japan Self-Defense Forces responsible for the defense of
Japanese
airspace and other aerospace operations. 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 ASDF had an authorized strength of 47,000 and maintained some 46,000 personnel and approximately 330 combat aircraft in 1992. Front-line formations include three ground-attack squadrons, nine fighter squadrons, one reconnaissance squadron and five transport squadrons.
History
Formation
Before forming the
Japanese Self-Defense Forces after
World War II, Japan didn't 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 ASDF are the Air Defense Command, Air Support Command, Air Training Command, Air Development and Test Command and Air Matériel 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-4EJ-Kai T-4)
- Northern Aircraft Control & Warning Wing
- 3rd Air Defence Missile Group
- 6rd Air Defence 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: 204SQ, F-15J/DJ T-4; 305SQ, F-15J/DJ T-4)
- Middle Aircraft Control & Warning Wing
- 1st Air Defence Missile Group
- 4th Air Defence Missile Group
- Iwojima 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 Defence Missile Group
- Southwestern Air Defense Force: Naha, Okinawa
- 83d Air Wing (Naha Air Base: 302SQ, F-4EJ-Kai T-4)
- Southwestern Aircraft Control & Warning Group
- 5th Air Defence Missile Group
- Airborne Early Warning Group: Misawa (E-2C) Hamamatsu (E-767)
- Tactical Reconnaissance Group: Hyakuri (RF-4E,RF-4EJ)
- Tactical Fighter Training Group: Nyutabaru (F-15DJ/J T-4)
- Air Defense Missile Training Group: Hamamatsu, Chitose
- Air Defence 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,MU-2)
- 1st Tactical Airlift Wing (Komaki Air Base: 401SQ, C-130H; 404SQ, KC-767J(from 2008))
- 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)
- 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-3,T-7; 2SQ, T-3,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, Saitama
- Air Development and Test Wing (Gifu Air Base: F-15J/DJ F-2A/B C-1FTB F-4EJ-kai T-3 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
Recruitment and Training
After passing an entrance examination, recruits can enter several training programs.
Lower-secondary school graduates are eligible to enter the MSDF's four-year youth
cadet program to earn upper-secondary school equivalency and
NCO status, or they can undergo twelve-week recruit training courses followed by technical training lasting from five to fifty weeks. Upper-secondary school graduates can also enter either two-year NCO or four-year flight courses. Specialized training is available for all NCOs, as are opportunities to enroll in officer and flight officer candidate courses. Graduates of the four-year
National Defense Academy or four-year universities receive thirty to forty weeks of instruction in officer candidate schools. Advanced technical, flight and command staff officer programs are available for officers.
Equipment
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-3 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-Defence only policy.
See also List of military aircraft of Japan
Aircraft inventory
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Boeing 747 || || VIP transport || 747-400 || 2 ||
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Boeing 767 || || Airborne command and control
Airborne refueling ||
E-767
KC-767J || 4
2 || Two more KC-767s on order
|
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Gulfstream IV || || VIP transport || U-4 || 5 ||
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Kawasaki C-1 || || Tactical transport || C-1A || 26 ||
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C-130 Hercules || || Tactical transport || C-130H || 16 ||
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British Aerospace BAe 125 || || Utility transport || U-125
U-125A || 2
23 ||
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Mitsubishi MU-2 || || Utility transport || MU-2J
MU-2S || 2
2 ||
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NAMC YS-11 || || Transport || YS-11
YS-11A || 3
4 |
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Grumman E-2 Hawkeye || || Airborne early warning || E-2C || 13 ||
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Fuji T-3 || || Trainer || || 38 ||
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Mitsubishi T-2 || || Trainer || T-2A || 14 ||
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| Fuji T-7 || || Trainer || || 20 ||
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Raytheon Hawker 400 || || Trainer || T-400 || 13 ||
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Kawasaki T-4 || || Trainer || || 208 ||
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Sikorsky UH-60J Black Hawk || || Transport helicopter || UH-60J || 32 || Built by Mitsubishi
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Kawasaki-Vertol 107 || || Transport helicopter || KV-107 || 13 || Built by Kawasaki
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Boeing CH-47 Chinook || || Transport helicopter || CH-47J || 15 || Built by Kawasaki
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Mitsubishi F-1 || || Fighter || || 23 ||
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Mitsubishi F-2 || || Fighter
Trainer || F-2A
F-2B || 33
28 ||
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F-4 Phantom II || || Fighter
Reconnaissance || F-4EJ
RF-4E || 91
27 || RF-4 version being phased out; equivalent number of F-15 to receive
synthetic aperture radar pods
|
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F-15 Eagle || || Fighter
Trainer || F-15J
F-15DJ || 136
42 || 2 F-15J's and 12 F-15DJ's were Built by US and the rest were Built by Mitsubishi under license
|}
Future equipment
! ignore="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Aircraft
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Mitsubishi ATD-X || ||Demo jet fighter || - || - || Production to start in 2010-2011, and introduced in 2014.
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Kawasaki C-X || || Tactical airlift || - || 1 || Entering service in 2010. Estimated 30-50 will be produced.
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| F-X || - || Fighter || - || - || About 80
F-15K equivalents or better,
F/A-18E/F,
Eurofighter or
F-35 will replace the
F-4. A decision is due in 2008.
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|}
Sources:
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