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Japan The Air Self-Defense Force
The Air Self-Defense Force (ASDF) is the major aviation
arm of
the SDF. It had an authorized strength of 47,000 and
maintained
some 46,000 personnel and approximately 330 combat
aircraft in
1992. Front-line formations include three ground-attack
squadrons,
nine fighter squadrons, one reconnaissance squadron, and
five
transport squadrons.
Major units of the ASDF are the Air Defense Command,
Flight
Support Command, Flying Training Command, Air Developing
and
Proving Command, and Air Matériel Command. The Flight
Support
Command is responsible for direct support of operational
forces in
rescue, transportation, control, weather monitoring, and
inspection. The Flying Training Command is responsible for
basic
flying and technical training. The Air Developing and
Proving
Command, in addition to overseeing equipment research and
development, is also responsible for research and
development in
such areas as flight medicine. 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 on Okinawa. All four
regional
headquarters control surface-to-air missile units of both
the ASDF
and the GSDF located in their respective areas.
The ASDF maintains an integrated network of radar
installations
and air defense 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 airborne
earlywarning
aircraft.
The nation relies on fighter-interceptor aircraft and
surfaceto -air missiles to intercept hostile aircraft. Both of
these
systems were improved beginning in the late 1980s.
Outmoded
aircraft were being replaced in the early 1990s with more
sophisticated models, and Nike-J missiles were being
replaced with
new Patriot systems (see
table 42, Appendix). Essentially,
however,
the nation relies on United States forces to provide
interceptor
capability.
The ASDF also provides air support for ground and sea
operations of the GSDF and the MSDF and air defense for
bases of
all the forces. Although support fighter squadrons started
being
modernized in 1989, they lack precision-guided weapons for
support
of ground operations and attacks on hostile ships, and
ASDF pilots
receive little flight training over oceans to prepare for
maritime
operations. The ASDF has an inadequate poor base defense
capability, consisting mainly of outmoded antiaircraft
guns and
portable shelters to house aircraft. Base defenses were
being
upgraded in the late 1980s with new surface-to-air
missiles, modern
antiaircraft artillery, and new fixed and mobile aircraft
shelters.
After passing an entrance examination, recruits can
enter
several training programs. Lower-secondary school
graduates are
eligible to enter the MSDF's four-year youth cadet program
to earn
upper-secondary school equivalency and NCO status, or they
can
undergo twelve-week recruit training courses followed by
technical
training lasting from five to fifty weeks. Upper-secondary
school
graduates can also enter either two-year NCO or four-year
flight
courses. Specialized training is available for all NCOs,
as are
opportunities to enroll in officer and flight officer
candidate
courses. Graduates of the four-year National Defense
Academy or
four-year universities receive thirty to forty weeks of
instruction
in officer candidate schools. Advanced technical, flight,
and
command staff officer programs are available for officers.
Data as of January 1994
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