The , , also informally referred to as the Japanese Air Force, is the air and

space Space is the boundless three-dimensional extent in which objects and events have relative position and direction. In classical physics, physical space is often conceived in three linear dimensions, although modern physicists usually con ...

branch of the

Japan Self-Defense Forces The Japan Self-Defense Forces ( ja, 自衛隊, Jieitai; abbreviated JSDF), also informally known as the Japanese Armed Forces, are the unified ''de facto''Since Article 9 of the Japanese Constitution outlaws the formation of Military, armed f ...

, responsible for the defense of Japanese airspace, other air and space operations, cyberwarfare and

electronic warfare Electronic warfare (EW) is any action involving the use of the electromagnetic spectrum (EM spectrum) or directed energy to control the spectrum, attack an enemy, or impede enemy assaults. The purpose of electronic warfare is to deny the opponen ...

. The JASDF carries out

combat air patrols Combat air patrol (CAP) is a type of flying mission for fighter aircraft. A combat air patrol is an aircraft patrol provided over an objective area, over the force protected, over the critical area of a combat zone, or over an air defense area, ...

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. 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. 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 a record 947 times alone against PLAAF warplanes, putting heavy wear and tear on the F-15J. As of 2021, due to wear and tear on the JASDF F-15J, the JASDF no longer intercepts the majority of PLAAF warplanes and has deployed its F-35 fighter jets to supplement the F-15J fighter jets for interception duty. The service will be renamed in 2023 to the , in recognition of the increasing importance of the space domain.

History

Japan did not have a separate

air force An air force – in the broadest sense – is the national military branch that primarily conducts aerial warfare. More specifically, it is the branch of a nation's armed services that is responsible for aerial warfare as distinct from an ar ...

before and during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

. Aviation operations were carried out by the Imperial Japanese Army Air Service and the

Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service The was the air arm of the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN). The organization was responsible for the operation of naval aircraft and the conduct of aerial warfare in the Pacific War. The Japanese military acquired their first aircraft in 1910 ...

( Kōkūtai). Following defeat in

, the

Imperial Japanese Army The was the official ground-based armed force of the Empire of Japan from 1868 to 1945. It was controlled by the Imperial Japanese Army General Staff Office and the Ministry of the Army, both of which were nominally subordinate to the Emperor ...

and

Navy A navy, naval force, or maritime force is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral, or ocean-borne combat operations and related functions. It include ...

(including their respective Air Services) were disbanded in 1945. 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 The also known as the Japanese Empire or Imperial Japan, was a historical nation-state and great power that existed from the Meiji Restoration in 1868 until the enactment of the post-World War II 1947 constitution and subsequent for ...

during the war. 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 Article often refers to: * Article (grammar), a grammatical element used to indicate definiteness or indefiniteness * Article (publishing), a piece of nonfictional prose that is an independent part of a publication Article may also refer to: ...

which strictly prohibited Japan from having a regular

military A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. It is typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with its members identifiable by their distin ...

. 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 The Chinese Communist Party (CCP), officially the Communist Party of China (CPC), is the founding and sole ruling party of the People's Republic of China (PRC). Under the leadership of Mao Zedong, the CCP emerged victorious in the Chinese Ci ...

in the

Chinese Civil War The Chinese Civil War was fought between the Kuomintang-led government of the Republic of China and forces of the Chinese Communist Party, continuing intermittently since 1 August 1927 until 7 December 1949 with a Communist victory on main ...

and the onset of the

Korean War {{Infobox military conflict , conflict = Korean War , partof = the Cold War and the Korean conflict , image = Korean War Montage 2.png , image_size = 300px , caption = Clockwise from top: ...

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 The Japan Ground Self-Defense Force ( ja, 陸上自衛隊, Rikujō Jieitai), , also referred to as the Japanese Army, is the land warfare branch of the Japan Self-Defense Forces. Created on July 1, 1954, it is the largest of the three service ...

(''de facto'' post-war Japanese

Army An army (from Old French ''armee'', itself derived from the Latin verb ''armāre'', meaning "to arm", and related to the Latin noun ''arma'', meaning "arms" or "weapons"), ground force or land force is a fighting force that fights primarily on ...

), the Coastal Safety Force was reorganized as the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (''de facto'' post-war Japanese

) and the Japan Air Self-Defense Force (''de facto'' post-war Japanese

Air Force An air force – in the broadest sense – is the national military branch that primarily conducts aerial warfare. More specifically, it is the branch of a nation's armed services that is responsible for aerial warfare as distinct from an ar ...

) 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 Headquarters was relocated from

Fuchu Air Base Fuchu, King of Chu (), clan name Xiong, () was from 227 to 223 BC the last king of the state of Chu during the late Warring States period of ancient China (though sources argue that Lord Changping was the last king of Chu). Fuchu was his give ...

Yokota Air Base , is a Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF) and United States Air Force (USAF) base in the Tama Area, or Western Tokyo. It occupies portions of Akishima, Fussa, Hamura, Mizuho, Musashimurayama, and Tachikawa. The base houses 14,000 p ...

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. 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 ''Scrambles'' is the fifth studio album by Bomb the Music Industry!, released digitally and physically on February 15th, 2009. The album was released a year and a half after Get Warmer, making it the longest gap between the release of two chron ...

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 The , also known as the or the , are a chain of Japanese islands that stretch southwest from Kyushu to Taiwan: the Ōsumi, Tokara, Amami, Okinawa, and Sakishima Islands (further divided into the Miyako and Yaeyama Islands), with Yona ...

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

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 The Tupolev Tu-95 (russian: Туполев Ту-95; NATO reporting name: "Bear") is a large, four-engine turboprop-powered strategic bomber and missile platform. First flown in 1952, the Tu-95 entered service with the Long-Range Aviation of t ...

) 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 II The Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II is an American family of single-seat, single-engine, all-weather stealth multirole combat aircraft that is intended to perform both air superiority and strike missions. It is also able to provide elec ...

s. 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. 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 is a prefecture of Japan. Okinawa Prefecture is the southernmost and westernmost prefecture of Japan, has a population of 1,457,162 (as of 2 February 2020) and a geographic area of 2,281 km2 (880 sq mi). Naha is the capital and largest cit ...

Organization

US and Japanese leaders cut the ribbon during the opening ceremony for the new Japan Air Self-Defense Force Air Defense Command Headquarters

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. A Japan Air Self Defense Force F-15 (modified)

A Japan Air Self Defense Force F-15 (modified)

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 is a prefecture of Japan. Okinawa Prefecture is the southernmost and westernmost prefecture of Japan, has a population of 1,457,162 (as of 2 February 2020) and a geographic area of 2,281 km2 (880 sq mi). Naha is the capital and largest cit ...

. 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 The prime minister of Japan ( Japanese: 内閣総理大臣, Hepburn: ''Naikaku Sōri-Daijin'') is the head of government of Japan. The prime minister chairs the Cabinet of Japan and has the ability to select and dismiss its Ministers of Stat ...

** Minister of Defense ***JASDF Chief of Staff / Air Staff Office ****Air Defense Command: Yokota, Fussa,

Tokyo Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and List of cities in Japan, largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, ...

*****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 is an air base of the Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF), the United States Air Force, and the United States Navy located in Misawa, Aomori, in the northern part of the island of Honshū of Japan. It is located northeast of Misawa rail ...

: 301SQ, F-35A, T-4; 302SQ, F-35A, T-4) ****** Northern Air Command Support Flight, (Misawa, 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: 3SQ, F-2A/B T-4) ****** Central Air Command Support Squadron (Iruma Air Base T-4, U-4) ******Central 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 is the List of Japanese cities by population, sixth-largest city in Japan, the second-largest port city after Yokohama, and the capital city of Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. The city is built along the shores of Hakata Bay, and has been a center ...

******5th Air Wing ( Nyutabaru Air Base: 305SQ, F-15J/DJ, T-4) ******8th Air Wing ( Tsuiki Air Base: 6SQ, F-2A/B, T-4; 8SQ, F-2A/B, T-4) ****** Western Air Command Support Squadron, (Kasuga, T-4) 20170810034434!Mitsubishi F-2 in flight 23 (cropped)

20170810034434!Mitsubishi F-2 in flight 23 (cropped)

******Western Aircraft Control & Warning Wing ******2nd Air Defense Missile Group *****Southwestern Air Defense Force: Naha,

Okinawa is a prefecture of Japan. Okinawa Prefecture is the southernmost and westernmost prefecture of Japan, has a population of 1,457,162 (as of 2 February 2020) and a geographic area of 2,281 km2 (880 sq mi). Naha is the capital and largest city ...

****** 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 ******5th Air Defense Missile Group ***** 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 (

) ****** 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 is a city located in Aichi Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 148,872 in 68,174 households, and a population density of . The total area of the city was . Komaki is commonly associated with the former Komaki Airport, w ...

(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,

**** 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 Third or 3rd may refer to: Numbers * 3rd, the ordinal form of the cardinal number 3 * , a fraction of one third * 1⁄60 of a ''second'', or 1⁄3600 of a ''minute'' Places * 3rd Street (disambiguation) * Third Avenue (disambiguation) * High ...

( Miho Air Base: 403SQ, C-1, C-2; 41SQ, T-400) ****Air Traffic Control Service Group ****Air Weather Group **** Flight Check Squadron (Iruma Air Base: U-125) ****Special Airlift Group: (701SQ Chitose Air Base: B747-47C as

Japanese Air Force One The Japanese Air Force One and Japanese Air Force Two are the radio callsigns of the two Boeing 777-300ER aircraft used by the government of Japan for overseas travel by the Emperor, Prime Minister and other high-ranking officials. Each aircraft ...

) ***Air Training Command: Hamamatsu, Shizuoka **** 1st Air Wing ( Hamamatsu Air Base: 31SQ, T-4; 32SQ, T-4) **** 4th Air Wing ( Matsushima Air Field: F-2B; 11SQ, T-4 Blue Impulse 21SQ) **** 11th Flying Training Wing (

Shizuhama Air Base is a Japan Air Self-Defense Force base located in the city of Yaizu, Shizuoka Prefecture, in central Japan. It is the smallest air base in Japan with a functional runway. History Shizuhama Air Base was established in December 1944 as the Fujied ...

: 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 is a military airdrome of the Japan Air Self-Defense Force . It is located north of Ashiya in the Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. History Ashiya Airfield was established as a Japanese Army Air Force facility in 1944, and was used primarily as a de ...

: 1SQ, T-4; 2SQ, T-4) **** Fighter Training Group ( Nyutabaru Air Base: 23SQ (Ex- 202SQ), F-15DJ, T-4) ****

1st First or 1st is the ordinal form of the number one (#1). First or 1st may also refer to: *World record, specifically the first instance of a particular achievement Arts and media Music * 1$T, American rapper, singer-songwriter, DJ, and rec ...

, 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,

****1st, 2nd, 3rd & 4th Air Depot ***Air Staff College ***Air Communications and Systems Wing ***Aerosafety Service Group ***Central Air Base Group *** Space Operations Squadron ***Others

Ranks

Officers

Warrant officers and enlisted

Equipment

The JASDF maintains an integrated network of

radar Radar is a detection system that uses radio waves to determine the distance ('' ranging''), angle, and radial velocity of objects relative to the site. It can be used to detect aircraft, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor vehicles, w ...

installations and

air defense Anti-aircraft warfare, counter-air or air defence forces is the battlespace response to aerial warfare, defined by NATO as "all measures designed to nullify or reduce the effectiveness of hostile air action".AAP-6 It includes surface based ...

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 An interceptor aircraft, or simply interceptor, is a type of fighter aircraft designed specifically for the defensive interception role against an attacking enemy aircraft, particularly bombers and reconnaissance aircraft. Aircraft that are ...

and

surface-to-air missile A surface-to-air missile (SAM), also known as a ground-to-air missile (GTAM) or surface-to-air guided weapon (SAGW), is a missile designed to be launched from the ground to destroy aircraft or other missiles. It is one type of anti-aircraft syst ...

s 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 300px, Nike J at Hamamatsu Air Base NIKE J was the name for the Japanese version of the Nike-Hercules surface-to-air missile. It was produced by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. First test firings of the missile occurred in November 1970. The N ...

missiles have been replaced with the modern Patriot PAC-2 and PAC-3 system and

M167 VADS The M167 Vulcan Air Defense System (VADS) is a towed, short-range United States Army anti-aircraft gun designed to protect forward area combat elements and rear area critical assets. It was also used to protect U.S. Air Force warplane airfield ...

. The JASDF also provides air support for ground and sea operations of the

JGSDF The Japan Ground Self-Defense Force ( ja, 陸上自衛隊, Rikujō Jieitai), , also referred to as the Japanese Army, is the land warfare branch of the Japan Self-Defense Forces. Created on July 1, 1954, it is the largest of the three service b ...

and the

JMSDF , abbreviated , also simply known as the Japanese Navy, is the maritime warfare branch of the Japan Self-Defense Forces, tasked with the naval defense of Japan. The JMSDF was formed following the dissolution of the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) ...

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.

Aircraft

67-4495 CH-47J from Iruma AB (5215150649)

Culture and traditions

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 A cap badge, also known as head badge or hat badge, is a badge worn on uniform headgear and distinguishes the wearer's nationality and/or organisation. The wearing of cap badges is a convention commonly found among military and police forces, as w ...

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

's popular curry.

References

External links

* {{Authority control Air forces by country