The 21st Fighter Training Squadron is a squadron of the
4th Air Wing of Air Training Command of the
Japan Air Self-Defense Force
The , , also informally referred to as the Japanese Air Force, is the air and space branch of the Japan Self-Defense Forces, responsible for the defense of Japanese airspace, other air and space operations, cyberwarfare and electronic warf ...
. It is based at
Matsushima Air Base
is a military aerodrome of the Japan Air Self-Defense Force located in Higashimatsushima, west of Ishinomaki in the Miyagi Prefecture, Japan. Headquarters for the 4th Air Wing (JASDF), the base is primarily used for training, and is the home ...
in
Miyagi Prefecture, Japan.
History
The predecessor to the squadron was formed on March 31, 1975, and it formally became the 21st squadron on October 1, 1976.
After retiring their original
North American F-86F Sabres, from January 12, 1982 to December 22, 1995 the JASDF aerobatics team
Blue Impulse flew
Mitsubishi T-2 aircraft as part of the squadron.
During the
2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami
The occurred at 14:46 JST (05:46 UTC) on 11 March. The magnitude 9.0–9.1 (M) undersea megathrust earthquake had an epicenter in the Pacific Ocean, east of the Oshika Peninsula of the Tōhoku region, and lasted approximately six mi ...
, Matsushima Air Field was flooded with seawater, and eighteen
Mitsubishi F-2B's belonging to 21st Squadron, as well as other aircraft, were damaged or destroyed.
In the aftermath of this event, the 21st was relocated to
Misawa Air Base
is an air base of the Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF), List of United States Air Force installations, the United States Air Force, and the United States Navy located in Misawa, Aomori, Misawa, Aomori Prefecture, Aomori, in the northern p ...
where it conducted a reduced schedule of training while both the airfield and its damaged aircraft were repaired. A ceremony marking the 21st's return to Matsushima was held on March 28, 2016.
Tail marking
The squadron has a unique tail marking.
Aircraft operated
Trainer
*
Mitsubishi T-2 (1976-2004)
*
Mitsubishi F-2B (2002–present)
Liaison
*
Lockheed T-33A
The Lockheed T-33 Shooting Star (or T-Bird) is an American subsonic jet trainer. It was produced by Lockheed and made its first flight in 1948. The T-33 was developed from the Lockheed P-80/F-80 starting as TP-80C/TF-80C in development, then d ...
(1976-1994)
*
Kawasaki T-4
The Kawasaki T-4 is a Japanese subsonic intermediate jet trainer aircraft developed and manufactured by the commercial conglomerate Kawasaki Heavy Industries. Its sole operator is the Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF), in part due to historic ...
(1992–present)
See also
*
Blue Impulse
References
Units of the Japan Air Self-Defense Force
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