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In the
In the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force
, 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) ...
(JMSDF), the Fleet Air Force ( ja, 航空集団, kōkū shūdan) is its naval aviation
Naval aviation is the application of military air power by navies, whether from warships that embark aircraft, or land bases.
Naval aviation is typically projected to a position nearer the target by way of an aircraft carrier. Carrier-based a ...
branch, responsible for both fixed-wing and rotary aircraft and headquartered in Naval Air Facility Atsugi
is a joint Japan-US naval air base located in the cities of Yamato and Ayase in Kanagawa, Japan. It is the largest United States Navy (USN) air base in the Pacific Ocean and once housed the squadrons of Carrier Air Wing Five (CVW-5), which dep ...
. As of 2012, it was equipped with over 200 fixed-wing aircraft and 150 helicopters. These aircraft operate from bases throughout Japan, as well as from the JMSDF's ships.
History
The JMSDF's first aircraft were 16Lockheed P2V Neptune
The Lockheed P-2 Neptune (designated P2V by the United States Navy prior to September 1962) is a Maritime patrol aircraft, maritime patrol and anti-submarine warfare (ASW) aircraft. It was developed for the US Navy by Lockheed Corporation, Lockh ...
maritime patrol aircraft, which were provided to the force by the United States Navy
The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...
in 1956. The US Navy also provided Japan with 60 Grumman S-2 Tracker
The Grumman S-2 Tracker (S2F prior to 1962) was the first purpose-built, single airframe anti-submarine warfare (ASW) aircraft to enter service with the United States Navy. Designed and initially built by Grumman, the Tracker was of conventiona ...
s from 1957. During the 1980s, the JMSDFs force of 82 Neptunes (most of which were the locally built Kawasaki P-2J
The Kawasaki P-2J (originally P2V-Kai) is a maritime patrol aircraft, maritime patrol and Anti-submarine warfare, ASW aircraft developed for the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force. A turboprop-powered version of the radial-engined P-2 Neptune, th ...
variant) was replaced by about 100 Lockheed P-3 Orion
The Lockheed P-3 Orion is a four-engined, turboprop anti-submarine and maritime surveillance aircraft developed for the United States Navy and introduced in the 1960s. Lockheed based it on the L-188 Electra commercial airliner.Mitsubishi HSS-2 (the Japanese variant of the Sikorsky SH-3 Sea King). These helicopters were replaced by SH-60Js during the 1990s.
The JMSDF is the only force to operate minesweeping helicopters other than the US Navy. The first helicopters used for this purpose were eight V-107As. These helicopters were replaced by eleven MH-53Es during the 1990s. Seven MCH-101 helicopters have been ordered to replace the MH-53Es, of which five had been delivered by mid-2012.
The
Fleet Air Force (厚木航空基地
Retrieved February 8, 2017
** Air Patrol Squadron 3 (
''Units attached to Naval District destroyer fleets''
*Kure District Fleet
**Komatsushima Air Squadron (SH-60J, Komatsushima Heliport)
*Ōminato District Fleet
**Ōminato Air Squadron (SH-60J, Ōminato Air Field)
**Ōminato Flight (UH-60J)
*Sasebo District Fleet
**Ōmura Air Squadron (SH-60J, Ōmura Air Base)
*Yokosuka District Fleet
**Shirase Flight (SH-60J,
Diet
Diet may refer to:
Food
* Diet (nutrition), the sum of the food consumed by an organism or group
* Dieting, the deliberate selection of food to control body weight or nutrient intake
** Diet food, foods that aid in creating a diet for weight loss ...
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 ele ...
s. The US Marine Corps will at first operate in cooperation their own F-35Bs to build up a Japanese capability to operate this type. The Asahi Shimbun
is one of the four largest newspapers in Japan. Founded in 1879, it is also one of the oldest newspapers in Japan and Asia, and is considered a newspaper of record for Japan. Its circulation, which was 4.57 million for its morning edition and ...
quotes Japan’s Defense Minister Takeshi Iwaya
is a Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party, a member of the House of Representatives in the Diet (national legislature). He served as the Minister of Defense from 2 October 2018 to 11 September 2019.
Profile and career
A native ...
“The Izumo-class aircraft carrier role is to strengthen the air defense in the Pacific Ocean and to ensure the safety of the Self-Defense Force pilots.” He also states, “There may be no runway available for the US aircraft in an emergency. I cannot say that the US F-35B should never be placed on an MSDF MSDF may mean:
*Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, the Japanese Navy
* State Defense Forces:
**Massachusetts State Defense Force
** Missouri State Defense Force
* Milwaukee Secure Detention Facility, a prison
* Master of Science in Digital Forensics ...
escort vessel.” The current plan is for 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 warfa ...
to operate the aircraft once delivered.
Equipment
The Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force aviation maintains a large naval air force, including 201 fixed-wing aircraft and 145 helicopters. Most of these aircraft are used in anti-submarine warfare operations.Current organization
The organization of the JMSDF's aviation units is based on that of the US Navy. The main organizational units are ''Koku Shudan'' (air group
A group is a military unit or a military formation that is most often associated with military aviation.
Air and aviation groups
The terms group and wing differ significantly from one country to another, as well as between different branches ...
s), ''Kokugun'' (air wing
In military aviation, a wing is a unit of command. In most military aviation services, a wing is a relatively large formation of planes. In Commonwealth countries a wing usually comprises three squadrons, with several wings forming a group ( ...
s), ''Kōkūtai
A ''Kōkūtai'' () was a term used by the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service (IJNAS) to designate a military aviation unit, similar to the Air Groups in other air arms and services of the time. (''Group'' in the British Royal Air Force, ''Gruppe ...
'' ( air squadrons) and '' Hikōtai'' (flight
Flight or flying is the process by which an object moves through a space without contacting any planetary surface, either within an atmosphere (i.e. air flight or aviation) or through the vacuum of outer space (i.e. spaceflight). This can be a ...
s).
As at mid-2012, the structure of the JMSDF's aviation units was as follows:
Fleet Air Force (Atsugi Air Base
is a joint Japan-US naval air base located in the cities of Yamato and Ayase in Kanagawa, Japan. It is the largest United States Navy (USN) air base in the Pacific Ocean and once housed the squadrons of Carrier Air Wing Five (CVW-5), which ...
)
*Fleet Air Wing 1 (Kanoya Air Field
is a military aerodrome of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force . It is located southwest of the city of Kanoya in Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan. Runway 08R/26L is equipped with ILS.
On April 6, 2016 a U-125 airplane operated by the Flight Ch ...
)
**Air Patrol Squadron 1 (P-3C Orion
The Lockheed P-3 Orion is a four-engined, turboprop Anti-submarine warfare, anti-submarine and maritime patrol aircraft, maritime surveillance aircraft developed for the United States Navy and introduced in the 1960s. Lockheed Corporation, Lockh ...
, Kawasaki P-1
The Kawasaki P-1 (previously P-X, XP-1) is a Japanese maritime patrol aircraft developed and manufactured by Kawasaki Aerospace Company. Unlike many maritime patrol aircraft, which are typically conversions of civilian designs, the P-1 is a purp ...
)
**Maintenance and Supply Squadron 1
**Air Station Squadron Kanoya
*Fleet Air Wing 2 ( Hachinohe Air Base)
**Air Patrol Squadron 2 (P-3C Orion)
**Maintenance and Supply Squadron 2
**Air Station Squadron Hachinohe
* Fleet Air Wing 4 (Atsugi Air Base
is a joint Japan-US naval air base located in the cities of Yamato and Ayase in Kanagawa, Japan. It is the largest United States Navy (USN) air base in the Pacific Ocean and once housed the squadrons of Carrier Air Wing Five (CVW-5), which ...
)Retrieved February 8, 2017
Kawasaki P-1
The Kawasaki P-1 (previously P-X, XP-1) is a Japanese maritime patrol aircraft developed and manufactured by Kawasaki Aerospace Company. Unlike many maritime patrol aircraft, which are typically conversions of civilian designs, the P-1 is a purp ...
)
**Maintenance and Supply Squadron 4
**Air Station Squadron Atsugi
**Air Station Iwoto
***Auxiliary Air Facility Minamitorishima
, also known as Marcus Island, is an isolated Japanese coral atoll in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, located some southeast of Tokyo and east of the closest Japanese island, South Iwo Jima of the Ogasawara Islands, and nearly on a straight line ...
*Fleet Air Wing 5 (Naha Air Base
, formally known as the , is an air base of the Japan Air Self-Defense Force formerly under control of the United States Air Force. It is located at Naha Airport on the Oroku Peninsula in Naha, Okinawa, Japan.
History Imperial Period
Naha Airf ...
)
**Air Patrol Squadron 5 (P-3C Orion)
**Maintenance and Supply Squadron 5
**Air Station Squadron Naha
*Fleet Air Wing 21 (Tateyama Air Base
is a military aerodrome of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force. It is located outside the city of Tateyama in Chiba Prefecture, Japan, at the southern tip of the Bōsō Peninsula.
Operations
JMSDF Tateyama Air Base is currently the headquarte ...
)
**Air ASW Helicopter Squadron 21 (JMSDF Tateyama Air Base SH-60J/K)
**Air ASW Helicopter Squadron 23 (JMSDF Maizuru Helipoat SH-60J/K)
**Air ASW Helicopter Squadron 25 (JMSDF Ōminato Base
, 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) ...
SH-60J/K)
**Helicopter Rescue Squadron 73 (Tateyama Air Base UH-60J
The Mitsubishi H-60 series is twin-turboshaft engine helicopter based on the Sikorsky S-70 helicopter family for use by the Japan Self-Defense Forces (JSDF). The SH-60J/K/L are anti-submarine patrol versions for the Japan Maritime Self-Defense ...
)
***Helicopter Rescue Detachment Ominato
***Helicopter Rescue Detachment Iwoto
**Maintenance and Supply Squadron 21
**Air Station Squadron Tateyama
*Fleet Air Wing 22 (Omura Air Base Omura (小村) or Ōmura (大村) are Japanese surnames, but may also refer to:
* Ōmura, Nagasaki, a city located in Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan
* Omura's whale (''Balaenoptera omurai''), a species of rorqual about which very little is known
Peopl ...
)
**Air ASW Helicopter Squadron 22 (Omura Air Base SH-60J/K)
**Air ASW Helicopter Squadron 24 (Komatsushima Air Base SH-60J/K)
**Air Rescue Helicopter Squadron 72 (Omura Air Base UH-60J)
***Helicopter Rescue Detachment Kanoya
***Helicopter Rescue Detachment Tokushima
**Maintenance and Supply Squadron 22
**Air Station Squadron Omura
*Fleet Air Wing 31 (Iwakuni Air Base
is a United States Marine Corps air station located in the Nishiki river delta, southeast of Iwakuni Station in the city of Iwakuni, Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan.
History
The Japanese government bought a large portion of what is today MCA ...
)
**Air Rescue Squadron 71 (Atsugi Air Base US-1A, US-2)
**Air Reconnaissance Squadron 81 (Iwakuni Air Base EP-3, OP-3C)
**Air Training Support Squadron 91 (Iwakuni Air Base UP-3D, U-36A)
**Maintenance and Supply Squadron 31
**Drone Maintenance Squadron
**Air Station Squadron Iwakuni
* Air Development Squadron 51 (Atsugi Air Base
is a joint Japan-US naval air base located in the cities of Yamato and Ayase in Kanagawa, Japan. It is the largest United States Navy (USN) air base in the Pacific Ocean and once housed the squadrons of Carrier Air Wing Five (CVW-5), which ...
)
* Air Transport Squadron 61 (Atsugi Air Base C-130R, LC-90)
* Mine Countermeasures Helicopter Squadron 111 (Iwakuni Air Base MCH-101)
*Air Repair Squadron 1 (Kanoya Air Field
is a military aerodrome of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force . It is located southwest of the city of Kanoya in Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan. Runway 08R/26L is equipped with ILS.
On April 6, 2016 a U-125 airplane operated by the Flight Ch ...
)
*Air Repair Squadron 2 (Hachinohe Air Base)
*Air Control Service Group (Atsugi Air Base)
*Mobile Construction Group (Hachinohe Air Base)
''Units attached to Naval District destroyer fleets''
*Kure District Fleet
**Komatsushima Air Squadron (SH-60J, Komatsushima Heliport)
*Ōminato District Fleet
**Ōminato Air Squadron (SH-60J, Ōminato Air Field)
**Ōminato Flight (UH-60J)
*Sasebo District Fleet
**Ōmura Air Squadron (SH-60J, Ōmura Air Base)
*Yokosuka District Fleet
**Shirase Flight (SH-60J, Tateyama Air Base
is a military aerodrome of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force. It is located outside the city of Tateyama in Chiba Prefecture, Japan, at the southern tip of the Bōsō Peninsula.
Operations
JMSDF Tateyama Air Base is currently the headquarte ...
)
Air Training Command
*Shimofusa Air Training Group (Shimofusa Air Base
, officially Shimohusa Air Base, is a military aerodrome of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force. It is located east of Matsudo in Chiba Prefecture, Japan. The base straddles the border between Kashiwa and Kamagaya cities.
Operations
Shimofu ...
)
**203 Air Training Squadron (P-3C)
**205 Air Training Squadron (no aircraft)
*Tokushima Air Training Group (Tokushima Airport
is a joint civil-military public airport in Matsushige, Tokushima, Japan, near the city of Tokushima.
In addition to scheduled passenger operations, the airport is the base of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force Tokushima Air Training Group ...
)
**202 Air Training Squadron (Beechcraft TC-90 King Air, Beechcraft UC-90 King Air)
*Ozuki Air Training Group (Ozuki Air Field
is a military aerodrome of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force . It is located in Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan.
Accidents and incidents
*28 September 2009, Japanese Maritime Self Defense Force
, abbreviated , also simply kno ...
)
**201 Air Training Squadron (Fuji T-5
The Fuji T-5 or KM-2Kai is a Japanese turboprop-driven primary trainer aircraft, which is a development of the earlier Fuji KM-2. The student and the instructor sit side-by-side.
Design and development
The Fuji T-5 was developed by Fuji Heavy In ...
)
***211 Air Training Squadron ( OH-6D, OH-6DA, SH-60J, Eurocopter TH-135
The Eurocopter EC135 (now Airbus Helicopters H135) is a twin-engine civil light utility helicopter produced by Airbus Helicopters (formerly known as Eurocopter). It is capable of flight under instrument flight rules (IFR) and is outfitted with ...
)
See also
*Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service
The was the Naval aviation, 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 air ...
References
{{reflist Aviation in Japan Units and formations of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force Military units and formations established in 1961Japan
Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...