Size, Operations, and Interception of PLAAF Warplanes
– 49,913 personnel in 2018
– Operates approximately 740 aircraft, with around 330 being fighter aircraft
– Responsible for defense of Japanese airspace, air and space operations, cyberwarfare, and electronic warfare
– Conducts combat air patrols around Japan
– Maintains a network of ground and air early-warning radar systems
– JASDF scrambled aircraft a record 947 times in the fiscal year ending March 2020 to intercept PLAAF warplanes
– Heavy wear and tear on F-15J fighter aircraft due to frequent interceptions
– Deployed F-35 fighter jets to supplement F-15J fighter jets in intercepting PLAAF warplanes
– Increasing pressure to intercept warplanes from China’s PLAAF close to entering Japanese airspace
– JASDF no longer intercepts most PLAAF warplane approaches as of 2021
History and Scrambles/Interceptions
– Japan did not have a separate air force before and during World War II
– Imperial Japanese Army Air Service and Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service carried out aviation operations during the war
– After defeat in World War II, the Imperial Japanese Army and Navy were disbanded in 1945
– Postwar constitution prohibited Japan from having a regular military under Article 9
– Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF) established in 1954 as a new branch of JSDF
– Scrambles to intercept Chinese and Russian aircraft increased since 2008
– In 2018, JASDF scrambled against 638 Chinese aircraft and 343 Russian aircraft
– Chinese aircraft flight paths mainly in the East China Sea, around the Ryukyu islands, and through the Korea Strait
– Russian aircraft frequently conduct flights orbiting Japan with military aircraft
– JASDF had 999 scrambles in fiscal 2018, second-highest since 1958
Organization
– Major units of JASDF include Air Defense Command, Air Support Command, Air Training Command, Air Development and Test Command, and Air Materiel Command
– Air Support Command provides direct support to operational forces in various areas
– Air Training Command responsible for basic flying and technical training
– Air Development and Test Command oversees equipment research and development
– JASDF maintains an integrated network of radar installations and air defense direction centers throughout the country known as the Basic Air Defense Ground Environment
Aircraft and Missiles
– Improved fighter-interceptor aircraft and surface-to-air missiles since the late 1980s
– Replacement of outdated aircraft with more advanced models in the early 1990s
– Upgraded from Nike-J missiles to modern Patriot PAC-2 and PAC-3 system and M167 VADS
– Airborne early warning aircraft for surveillance and detection
– Use of fighter-interceptor aircraft and surface-to-air missiles for intercepting hostile aircraft
Air Support and Defense, JASDF Flag, and JASDF Dish
– JASDF provides air support for ground and sea operations of JGSDF and JMSDF
– Air defense for bases of all forces
– Upgraded base defenses in the late 1980s with new surface-to-air missiles and antiaircraft artillery
– Introduction of new fixed and mobile aircraft shelters
– Ensuring air defense for all military installations
– JASDF Flag: Cobalt blue flag with a gold winged eagle on top of a combined star, moon, Hinomaru sun disc, and clouds
– JASDF Dish: JASDF’s dish is deep-fried chicken karaage, with a focus on promoting JASDF’s culinary offerings Source URL:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japan_Air_Self-Defense_Force
