Japan Air Self-Defense Force

The JASDF carries out combat air patrols around Japan, while also maintaining a network of ground and air early-warning radar systems. The branch also has an aerobatic team known as Blue Impulse and has provided air transport in UN peacekeeping missions.

Japan Air Self-Defense Force
航空自衛隊 Kōkū Jieitai
Emblem of the Air Self-Defense Force
Founded	1 July 1954; 69 years ago (1954-07-01)
Country	Japan
Type	Air force Space force
Role	Aerial warfare Space warfare Cyberwarfare Electronic warfare
Size	49,913 personnel (2018) 745 aircraft
Part of	Japan Self-Defense Forces
Headquarters	Ichigaya, Shinjuku, Tokyo
Motto(s)	"Key to Defense, Ready Anytime!"
Website	www.mod.go.jp/asdf/English_page/index.html
Commanders
Commander-in-Chief	Prime Minister Fumio Kishida
Minister of Defense	Minoru Kihara
Chief of Staff, Joint Staff	General Yoshihide Yoshida
Chief of Staff, Air Self-Defense Force	General Hiroaki Uchikura
Insignia
Roundel
Flag
Aircraft flown
Electronic warfare	E-767, EC-1, E-2C/D, YS-11EA/EB
Fighter	F-15J/DJ, F-2A/B, F-35A/B
Helicopter	UH-60J, CH-47J (LR)
Trainer	T-3, T-7, T-400, T-4
Transport	C-1, C-2, C-130H, Hawker 800, Gulfstream IV, Boeing 777
Tanker	KC-767, KC-130

The JASDF had an estimated 49,913 personnel as of 2018, and as of 2020 operates about 740 aircraft, approximately 330 of them being fighter aircraft.

The service will be renamed in 2027 to the Japan Air and Space Self-Defense Force (航空宇宙自衛隊, Kōkū Uchū Jieitai), in recognition of the increasing importance of the space domain.

 

Japan did not have a separate air force before and during World War II. Aviation operations were carried out by the Imperial Japanese Army Air Service and the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service (Kōkūtai). Following defeat in World War II, the Imperial Japanese Army and Navy (including their respective Air Services) were disbanded in 1945.^{[citation needed]}

Under the supervision of the United States occupation authorities, a pacifist Japanese government was appointed in place of the militaristic governments that administered the Empire of Japan during the war.^{[citation needed]} The new government drafted a postwar constitution. While the primary intent of this endeavor was to place the country's political structure on a firmly democratic footing, the constitution endorsed by the United States and ratified by the Diet of Japan in 1947 also contained Article 9 which strictly prohibited Japan from having a regular military.^{[citation needed]}

The U.S. occupation formally ended in 1952, although large American garrison remained in Japan to defend the country. The victory of the Chinese Communist Party in the Chinese Civil War and the onset of the Korean War led the Americans to reconsider what role the Japanese could be expected to play in, at the very least, defending their own home islands against growing Chinese, Soviet and North Korean power in the region. Under U.S. guidance, on 1 July 1954 the National Security Board was reorganized as the Defense Agency, and the National Security Force was reorganized afterwards as the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (de facto post-war Japanese Army), the Coastal Safety Force was reorganized as the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (de facto post-war Japanese Navy) and the Japan Air Self-Defense Force (de facto post-war Japanese Air Force) was established as a new branch of JSDF. General Keizō Hayashi was appointed as the first Chairman of Joint Staff Council—professional head of the three branches. The enabling legislation for this was the 1954 Self-Defense Forces Act (Act No. 165 of 1954).

The Far East Air Force, U.S. Air Force, announced on 6 January 1955, that 85 aircraft would be turned over to the fledgling Japanese air force on about 15 January, the first equipment of the new force.

The JASDF Air Defense Command (Japan) [ja] Headquarters was relocated from Fuchu Air Base to Yokota Air Base on March 26, 2012. The relocation is due to the 2002 Defense Policy Review Initiative. The purpose is to strengthen the U.S.-Japan Security Alliance. The ADC Headquarters does command and control operations to defend Japanese airspace.^{[citation needed]}

Until 2015, women were banned from becoming fighter jet and reconnaissance aircraft pilots. The first female pilot of an F-15 joined the ranks, along with three other female pilots currently in training, in 2018.

Since 2008, the number of scrambles to intercept Chinese aircraft has increased rapidly. In 2010 there were scrambles against 31 Chinese aircraft and 193 Russian aircraft. In 2018 scrambles increased to against 638 Chinese aircraft and 343 Russian aircraft. Chinese aircraft flight paths are mostly in the East China Sea, around the Ryukyu islands and through the Korea Strait. Russia frequently conducts flights orbiting Japan with military aircraft.

The Ministry of Defense reported in fiscal 2018 that there were 999 scrambles by JASDF jets against mainly Chinese and Russian unidentified aircraft. That is the second highest amount of scrambles by the JASDF since 1958. 638 (64%) were Chinese aircraft and 343 (34%) were Russian aircraft. On June 20, 2019, two Russian bombers (Tupolev Tu-95) violated Japanese airspace twice on the same day.

The Diet of Japan approved the modification of the ships of the Izumo-class to operate STOVL aircraft and in 2019 ordered 42 STOVL Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning IIs. The US Marines will operate their own STOVL F-35s from the Izumo-class in cooperation with the ship's crew to build up a Japanese capability to operate this type. The current plan is for the Japan Air Self-Defense Force to operate the STOVL F-35B from land bases once delivered.

As of 2020, the JASDF is under increasing pressure to intercept warplanes from China's People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) close to entering its air space. As of the last fiscal year ending in March 2020, the JASDF scrambled aircraft a record 947 times to intercept PLAAF warplanes. This has resulted in heavy wear and tear on their F-15J fighter aircraft, due to this, as of 2021, the JASDF intercepts fewer PLAAF warplane approaches and has deployed F-35 fighter jets to supplement the F-15J fighter jets in this role.

On 17 March 2021, the Mitsubishi F-4EJ Phantom II was retired after 50 years of service with the JASDF, being replaced by the F-35A.

During the 9 months of fiscal year 2021, JASDF fighters scrambled against 785 inbound flights. Chinese aircraft were intercepted 571 times (70%), and 199 Russian aircraft. The majority of the Chinese aircraft flew over Okinawa prefecture.

On 22 October 2023, the JASDF conducted its first-ever trilateral exercise with the South Korean and United States air forces near the Korean Peninsula.

 

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. On May 19, 2020, the JASDF officially inaugurated its Space Operation Squadron.

 

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, Okinawa Prefecture. 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 [ja] / Air Staff Office [ja]
      • Air Defense Command [ja]: Yokota, Fussa, Tokyo
        • Northern Air Defense Force [ja]: Misawa, Aomori
          • 2nd Air Wing [ja] (Chitose Air Base: 201SQ, F-15J/DJ, T-4; 203SQ, F-15J/DJ, T-4)
          • 3rd Air Wing [ja] (Misawa Air Base: 301SQ, F-35A, T-4; 302SQ, F-35A, T-4)
          • Northern Air Command Support Flight, (Misawa, T-4)
          • Northern Aircraft Control & Warning Wing [ja]
          • Northern Air Defense Missile Group [ja] (9th, 10th, 11th, 20th, 21st, 22nd, 23rd and 24th Air Defense Missile Squadron)
        • Central Air Defense Force: Iruma, Saitama
          • 6th Air Wing [ja] (Komatsu Air Base: 303SQ, F-15J/DJ, T-4; 306SQ, F-15J/DJ, T-4)
          • 7th Air Wing (Hyakuri Air Base: 3SQ, F-2A/B T-4)
          • Central Air Command Support Squadron (Iruma Air Base T-4, U-4)
          • Central Aircraft Control & Warning Wing [ja]
          • Central Air Defense Missile Group [ja] (1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 12th, 13th, 14th and 15th Air Defense Missile Squadron)
          • Iwo Jima Air Base Group [ja]
        • Western Air Defense Force: Kasuga, Fukuoka
          • 5th Air Wing [ja] (Nyutabaru Air Base: 305SQ, F-15J/DJ, T-4)
          • 8th Air Wing [ja] (Tsuiki Air Base: 6SQ, F-2A/B, T-4; 8SQ, F-2A/B, T-4)
          • Western Air Command Support Squadron, (Kasuga, T-4)

             

          • Western Aircraft Control & Warning Wing [ja]
          • Western Air Defense Missile Group [ja] (5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th Air defense Missile Squadron)
        • Southwestern Air Defense Force [ja]: Naha, Okinawa
          • 9th Air Wing (Naha Air Base: 204SQ, F-15J/DJ, T-4; 304SQ, F-15J/DJ, T-4
          • Southwestern Air Command Support Squadron, T-4)
          • Southwestern Aircraft Control & Warning Wing [ja]
          • Southwestern Air Defense Missile Group [ja] (16th, 17th, 18th and 19th Air Defense Missile Squadron)
        • Airborne Early Warning and Control Wing: Hamamatsu Air Base )
          • Flight Warning and Control Group: Hamamatsu Air Base
            • 602SQ, E-767
            • Operation Information Squadron
          • Flight Alert Monitoring Group: Misawa Air Base
            • 601SQ, E-2C/D: Misawa Air Base
            • 603SQ, E-2C/D: Naha Air Base
          • 1st Maintenance Group
          • 2nd Maintenance Group
        • Air Tactics Development Wing (Yokota Air Base)
          • Tactical Fighter Training Group: Komatsu Air Base (F-15DJ/J, T-4)
          • Electronic Warfare Squadron Iruma Air Base (EC-1, YS-11EB)
          • Electronic Intelligence Squadron Iruma Air Base (YS-11EB)
        • Air Rescue Wing
          • Detachments: Chitose, Matsushima, Ashiya, Akita, Hyakuri, Nyutabaru, Niigata, Hamamatsu, Naha, Komatsu, Komaki (Training Squadron) (UH-60J, U-125A)
          • Helicopter Airlift Squadrons: Iruma (CH-47J (LR)), Kasuga (CH-47J (LR)), Misawa (CH-47J (LR)), Naha (CH-47J (LR))
        • Air Defense Missile Training Group: Hamamatsu, Chitose
    • Air Support Command: Fuchū Air Base, Tokyo

       

      • 1st Tactical Airlift Group (Komaki Air Base: 401SQ, C-130H, KC-130H; 404SQ, KC-767)
      • 2nd Tactical Airlift Group (Iruma Air Base: 402SQ, C-1, U-4)
      • 3rd Tactical Airlift Group (Miho Air Base: 403SQ, C-1, C-2; 405SQ, KC-46)
      • Air Traffic Control Service Group
      • Air Weather Group
      • Flight Check Squadron (Iruma Air Base: U-125)
      • Special Airlift Group: (701SQ Chitose Air Base: Boeing 777-300ER as Japanese Air Force One)
    • Air Training Command: Hamamatsu, Shizuoka
      • 1st Air Wing (Hamamatsu Air Base: 31SQ, T-4; 32SQ, T-4, 41SQ, T-400)
      • 4th Air Wing (Matsushima Air Field: F-2B; 11SQ, T-4 Blue Impulse 21SQ)
      • 11th Flying Training Wing (Shizuhama Air Base: 1SQ, T-7; 2SQ, T-7)
      • 12th Flight Training Wing (Hofu kita Air Base: 1SQ, T-7; 2SQ, T-7)
      • 13th Flight Training Wing (Ashiya Air Base: 1SQ, T-4; 2SQ, T-4)
      • Fighter Training Group (Nyutabaru Air Base: 23SQ (Ex-202SQ), F-15DJ, T-4)
      • 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th & 5th Technical School
      • Air Basic Training Wing
      • Air Training Aids Group
      • Air Officer Candidate 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, C-2, 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
    • Space Operations Squadron

 

 

Yokota

 

Chitose

 

Misawa

 

Komatsu

 

Hyakuri

 

Iruma

 

Nyutabaru

 

Tsuiki

 

Kasuga

 

Naha

 

Fuchū

 

Komaki

 

Miho

 

Hamamatsu

 

Matsushima

 

Shizuhama

 

Hōfu

 

Ashiya

 

Gifu

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Fighter bases:   F-15J/F-15DJ Eagle   F-35A Lightning II   F-2A/B
Training bases:   T-4   T-7 Other bases:  

Commissioned officer ranks

The rank insignia of commissioned officers.

Rank group	General / flag officers										Senior officers						Junior officers								Officer cadet
Japan Air Self-Defense Force v t e
			幕僚長たる空将 Bakuryōchō-taru-kūshō		空将 Kūshō		空将補 Kūshō-ho				1等空佐 Ittō kūsa		2等空佐 Nitō kūsa		3等空佐 Santō kūsa		1等空尉 Ittō kūi		2等空尉 Nitō kūi		3等空尉 Santō kūi		准空尉 Jun kūi

Other ranks

The rank insignia of non-commissioned officers and enlisted personnel.

Rank group	Senior NCOs																						Junior NCOs						Enlisted
Japan Air Self-Defense Force v t e
	空曹長 Kūsōchō								1等空曹 Ittō kūsō		2等空曹 Nitō kūsō						3等空曹 Santō kūsō						空士長 Kūshichō				1等空士 Ittō kūshi		2等空士 Nitō kūshi						自衛官候補生 Jieikan kōhosei

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 and PAC-3 system and M167 VADS. 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. Base defenses were upgraded in the late 1980s with new surface-to-air missiles, modern antiaircraft artillery and new fixed and mobile aircraft shelters.

Current aircraft

Fixed-wing aircraft (manned)

Aircraft	Origin	Role	Variant	In service	On order	Notes	Image
Combat Aircraft
F-15 Eagle	United States   Japan	Air superiority	Mitsubishi F-15J	155	—	Licensed produced by Mitsubishi. 213 built, 13 were lost.
		Conversion trainer	Mitsubishi F-15DJ	44	—
Mitsubishi F-2	Japan	Multirole	F-2A	62	—	based on the Lockheed Martin F-16 98 built, 4 prototypes
		Conversion trainer	F-2B	24	—
F-35 Lightning II	United States	Swing role	F-35A	36	+ 69	Assembled in Japan, few parts of the programme made in Japan. 105 F-35A + 42 F-35B ordered. 1 F-35A lost in 2019.
			F-35B	0	+ 42
Airborne early warning and control
Boeing E-767	United States	AEW&C	—	4	—	Based on the B767-200ER.
E-2 Hawkeye	United States	AEW&C	E-2C	10	—	E-2C being replaced by the E-2D. 13 were ordered: 4 in 1979 4 in 1981 3 in 1989 2 in 1990
		AEW&C	E-2D	6	+ 12	Ordered to replace the E-2C. 4 in 2015 9 in 2018 5 in August 2023
Electronic Warfare
NAMC YS-11	Japan	Electronic warfare	EA	2	—	2 delivered in this variant, number operational unclear, conflicting information
		ELINT	EB	4	—	4 delivered in this variant, number operational unclear, conflicting information
Kawasaki C-2	Japan	Electronic countermeasure aircraft / ELINT	RC-2	1	—	Successor of the Kawasaki EC-1
Tanker
Boeing KC-767	United States	aerial refueling / transport	KC-767J	4	—	Based on the B767-200ER. Selected in 2001, contract 2003.
Boeing KC-46 Pegasus	United States	aerial refueling / transport	KC-46A	2	+4	4 ordered in 2016 2 ordered in 2022
Lockheed Martin KC-130	United States	aerial refueling	KC-130H	3	—	Used for helicopter refueling
Transport
Boeing 777	United States	VIP transport	777-300ER	2	—	Callsign Japanese Air Force One. Also used for humanitarian missions.
Kawasaki C-1	Japan	Tactical and strategic transport	—	6	—	31 were built, introduced in 1974. Being retired and replaced by the C-2.
Kawasaki C-2	Japan	Tactical and strategic transport	—	13	+ 7
Lockheed C-130 Hercules	United States	Tactical transport	C-130H	14	—
Flight inspection
Gulfstream IV	United States	Inspecting the air navigation facilities and air traffic control facilities of the JSDF.	U-4	5	—
British Aerospace 125	United Kingdom	Inspecting the air navigation facilities and air traffic control facilities of the JSDF.	U-125A	2	—
Cessna Citation Latitude	United States	Inspecting the air navigation facilities and air traffic control facilities of the JSDF.	U-680A	2	+ 1	UNIFIS 3000-G2 flight-inspection equipment
Search and rescue
Hawker 800	United Kingdom	SAR	U-125A	26	—	To be retired
Trainer Aircraft
Fuji T-7	Japan	Basic trainer	Aka T-3 KAI	49	—	Succeeded to the T-3.
Kawasaki T-4	Japan	Advanced trainer	—	198	—	To be replaced likely by the T-7A Red Hawk.
Raytheon T-1 Jayhawk	United States	Jet trainer	T-400	13	—
Kawasaki C-1	Japan	Trainer aircraft for ECM and ELINT	EC-1	1	—	Replaced by the RC-2, used for training.

Rotary wing

Aircraft	Role	Type	Variant	In service	On order	Notes	Image
Combat helicopters
Boeing CH-47 Chinook	United States   Japan	Transport / Utility	CH-47J	15	—	Licensed built by Kawasaki Heavy Industries
Mitsubishi H-60	United States   Japan	Utility / SAR	UH-60J	37	—	Licensed built by Mitsubishi, 40 ordered in 2010 to replace 40 older variants of the UH-60J 1 at least crashed

UAV

Aircraft	Origin	Role	Variant	In service	On order	Notes	Image
RQ-4 Global Hawk	United States	Surveillance	RQ-4B	1	+ 2

Future aircraft

Aircraft / Programme	Origin	Type	On order	Notes	Image
Combat Aircraft
Advanced fighter jet programme "Global Combat Air Programme"	Japan   United Kingdom   Italy	6th generation jet fighter	0	Treaty signed in December 2023. Successor of the F-2. To be in service by 2035.
Bomber
Kawasaki C-2	Japan	Jet bomber	0	Japan is considering to mount the Rapid Dragon system on the C-2 aircraft to make it a long-range bomber at a low cost.
Trainer
T-7A Red Hawk	United States   Sweden	Advanced trainer	0	Japan expressed interest in the replacement of the Kawasaki T-4 with the T-7A.

JASDF Flag

The Japan Air Self-Defense Force flag was first adopted in 1955 after the JASDF was created in 1954. It is based on a cap badge made in 1954. The flag is cobalt blue with a gold winged eagle on top of a combined star, the moon, the Hinomaru sun disc and clouds. The latest version of the JASDF flag was re-adopted on 19 March 2001. The JASDF flag is different from the JSDF flag and the JGSDF flag. It is determined by a directive regarding the flags of the JSDF.

Food

The dish of the JASDF is deep-fried chicken karaage, such as Okinawan-style deep-fried chicken. The JASDF tried to increase its popularity by promoting its fried chicken recipe since 2018. There were competitions between the JMSDF's popular curry.

• Fighter units of the Japan Air Self-Defense Force
• Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force aviation