Japan Air Self-Defense Force

Japan Air Self-Defense Force
航空自衛隊 Kōkū Jieitai
Emblem of the Air Self-Defense Force
Founded	1 July 1954; 69 years ago (1954-07-01)[1]
Country	Japan
Type	Air force Space force
Role	Aerial warfare Space warfare Cyberwarfare Electronic warfare
Size	49,913 personnel (2018)[1] 745 aircraft
Part of	Japan Self-Defense Forces
Headquarters	Ichigaya, Shinjuku, Tokyo
Motto(s)	"Key to Defense, Ready Anytime!"
Website	www.mod.go.jp/asdf/English_page/index.html
Commanders
Commander-in-Chief	Prime Minister Fumio Kishida
Minister of Defense	Minoru Kihara
Chief of Staff, Joint Staff	General Yoshihide Yoshida
Chief of Staff, Air Self-Defense Force	General Hiroaki Uchikura
Insignia
Roundel
Flag
Aircraft flown
Electronic warfare	E-767, EC-1, E-2C/D, YS-11EA/EB
Fighter	F-15J/DJ, F-2A/B, F-35A/B
Helicopter	UH-60J, CH-47J (LR)
Trainer	T-3, T-7, T-400, T-4
Transport	C-1, C-2, C-130H, Hawker 800, Gulfstream IV, Boeing 777
Tanker	KC-767, KC-130

The Japan Air Self-Defense Force (航空自衛隊, Kōkū Jieitai), JASDF (空自, Kūji), also referred to as the Japanese Air Force,^[2] 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 warfare.^[3] The JASDF carries out combat air patrols 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 2023 operates about 712 aircraft, approximately 321 of them being fighter aircraft.^[4]

The service will be renamed in 2027 to the Japan Air and Space Self-Defense Force (航空宇宙自衛隊, Kōkū Uchū Jieitai), in recognition of the increasing importance of the space domain.^[5]