Japan Air Self-Defense Force

The Japan Air Self-Defense Force (航空自衛隊 Kōkū Jieitai?), 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 JASDF has an estimated 66,000 personnel in 2015. As of 2017, the JASDF operates 1,028 aircraft, 448 of them being fighter aircraft.

Force Structure

Statistics

• Active Duty Personnel: 66,000
• Reserve Personnel: 41,200
• Number of Bases: 19 (Ashiya, Chitose, Fuchu, Gifu, Hamamatsu, Hofu, Hyakuri, Iruma, Iwo Jima, Komaki, Komatsu, Matsushima, Miho, Misawa, Naha, Nyubataru, Shizuhama, Tsuiki, Yokota)
• Fixed-Wing Aicraft: 762
• Helicopters: 68

Aircraft Inventory

Fighters

• Mitsubishi F-2C Viper Zero x 110 (Multirole Fighter)
• McDonnell-Douglas F-4EJ Phantom II x 34 (Fighter-Bomber)
• Mitsubishi F-15J Eagle x 156 (Air Superiority Fighter)
• Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II x 12 (Multirole Fighter) - 135 on order

ELINT Aircraft

• Boeing E-767 x 4 (AWACS Aircraft)
• Grumman E-2C Hawkeye 2000 x 10 (AWACS Aircraft)
• Northrop Grumman E-2D Advanced Hawkeye x 6 (AWACS Aircraft) - 12 more on order
• Kawasaki EC-1 x 2 (Electronic Warfare)
• NAMC YS-11EA x 2 (Electronic Warfare)
• NAMC YS-11EB x 4 (Electronic Intelligence)
• Northrop Grumman RQ-4J Global Hawk x 6

Transport Aircraft

• Boeing 777-300ER x 2 (VIP Transport)
• Boeing KC-46 Pegasus x 0 (Aerial Tanker) - 6 on order
• Boeing KC-767 x 4 (Aerial Tanker)
• Bombardier CC-194V Galaxy Ambassador x 2 (VIP Transport)
• British Aerospace U-125 x 2 (Transport/Flight Inspection)
• Cessna 680A Citation Latitude x 2 (Transport/Flight Inspection) - 2 on order
• Gulfstream U-4 x 6 (Transport/Flight Inspection)
• Hawker U-125A x 28 (Transport/SAR Aircraft)
• Kawasaki C-1 x 16 (Tactical Transport)
• Kawasaki C-2 x 8 (Tactical Transport) - 32+ more on order
• Lockheed C-130H Hercules x 2 (Tactical Transport)
• Lockheed KC-130H Hercules x 2 (Aerial Tanker)
• NAMC YS-11FC x 2 (Transport/Flight Inspection)

Helicopters

• Boeing/Kawasaki CH-47J Chinook x 18 (Heavy Lift Transport Helicopter)
• Mitsubishi UH-60J Blackhawk x 50 (Utility/SAR Helicopter)

Trainer Aircraft

• Fuji T-7 x 50 (Primary Trainer)
• Kawasaki T-4 x 200 (Advanced Jet Trainer)
• Mitsubishi F-2B Viper Zero x 32 (Conversion Trainer)
• Mitsubishi F-15DJ Eagle x 46 (Conversion Trainer)
• Raytheon T-1 Jayhawk x 14 (Jet Trainer)