JASDF may be in the market for more F-35s

[doge]

Other articles.
https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2021/ ... hina-jets/

Japan scrambling fighters less often against China as it looks to deploy more F-35s
KYODO, STAFF REPORT Mar 3, 2021
Faced with a barrage of activity in the East China Sea, Japan has decided to only scramble fighter jets when Chinese military aircraft threaten to violate the country’s airspace, government sources have said.

The change in policy comes as the Defense Ministry seeks to shift from reactively mobilizing aircraft to proactive surveillance, freeing up resources to concentrate on more high-level training using its latest F-35 stealth fighters, the sources said Tuesday.
The number of times jets were scrambled in fiscal 2020 has fallen drastically due to the new restrictive policy despite China’s continued assertiveness in the East China Sea during the pandemic, according to the Defense Ministry.

The Air Self-Defense Force is currently upgrading its fleet to F-35 stealth fighters, but they are not suited for scrambling — an act which aims to show off a country’s military presence to foreign aircraft in order to deter them from entering its airspace.
Reducing the number of times it scrambles jets is likely aimed at improving operational efficiency and reducing the burden on pilots and aircraft. It is also expected to allow the ASDF to increase high-level training with the F-35 jets.

China has ramped up its military activities in the East China Sea since September 2012 when Tokyo put the disputed Senkaku Islands under state control. Beijing claims the islets and calls them the Diaoyu.
“In the East China Sea our fighter jets scramble against Chinese airplanes almost every day, sometimes more than once,” then-Defense Minister Taro Kono said last June.

According to experts, the ASDF’s F-15J fighters take on the brunt of the scramble tasking, with the near-daily scrambles threatening to gradually wear the fleet out, potentially driving up maintenance costs and leaving pilots fatigued.
Japan scrambled fighter jets against Chinese aircraft a record 851 times in fiscal 2016, and 675 times in fiscal 2019. But under the new restrictions, it scrambled jets 331 times in the first nine months of fiscal 2020, which began last April, 192 times less than over the same period the previous year.

The ASDF will monitor the nationality and route of aircraft flying in the Air Defense Identification Zone set up outside its airspace using radar sites and airborne early warning systems.
Military personnel will be on watch 24 hours a day so fighter jets can be immediately dispatched to respond to any potential threats.

The ASDF plans to eventually procure 147 F-35 fighter jets, including the F-35A type used by the U.S. Air Force and the F-35B type used by the U.S. Marine Corps, to replace F-15s that cannot be modernized.
The first batch of around 20 F-35s will be deployed at Misawa Base in Aomori Prefecture by the end of fiscal 2020 that ends this month.

I know a little about JASDF scrambling.
Their recent scramble has been crazy... In the past ten years, there have been years when the number of scrambles exceeded 1,000. (Insane)
URL is JASDF scramble count report.
https://www.mod.go.jp/js/Press/press202 ... 122_01.pdf
They should rest.

[doge]

After all, The part that "F-35 is not suitable for scramble" seems to have been fake news of Kyodo.
Kyodo sometimes gives fake news like this. (In my experience.)
https://www.stripes.com/news/pacific/ja ... t-1.664530

Japan denies report that it’s scrambling fewer fighter jets against Chinese military aircraft
By MATTHEW M. BURKE AND HANA KUSUMOTO | STARS AND STRIPES Published: March 5, 2021
Japan’s Ministry of Defense has denied reports that it is scrambling fewer fighter jets against Chinese military aircraft infringing on Japanese airspace due to an increased reliance on the F-35 stealth fighter.
Japan reportedly has a “new restrictive policy” that only authorizes the scrambling of fighters against Chinese aircraft that threaten to violate the country’s airspace, Japan’s Kyodo news agency reported Wednesday, citing unnamed Japanese government sources.

Under the new policy, the Japan Self-Defense Force, using radar and early warning systems, reportedly now monitors only the nationality and route of aircraft flying in the zone that abuts Japanese airspace.
Japan’s defensive network remains on watch around the clock, according to Kyodo.

Tokyo hopes the shift from reactively mobilizing to proactive surveillance frees up resources to concentrate on training with the F-35, the report said. It also reduces the burden on pilots. The F-35 is apparently “not appropriate” for scrambling.
On Thursday, Japan’s Ministry of Defense pushed back, denying the report in a telephone interview with Stars and Stripes.

“Nothing has changed,” a ministry spokesman said. “We are on watch 24 hours, 365 days.”
The ministry spokesman declined to comment further. It’s customary in Japan for government spokespeople to speak to the media on condition of anonymity.

The Japan Air Self-Defense Force sortied 947 times in fiscal year 2019, down from a peak of 1,168 in 2016, Japan’s Joint Staff reported on its website. As of Dec. 31, Japanese fighters had sortied 544 times so far this fiscal year, which ends March 31.
There were 192 fewer sorties in the first nine months of fiscal year 2020 due to Chinese aircraft than during the same period the previous year, the Joint Staff reported. Kyodo reported that the reduction was due to the new policy.

Japan is upgrading its fleet to the F-35. The country had 201 F-15 fighters, as of March 31, 2020, the Air Self-Defense Force said in its most recent reporting. It also had 17 F-35A stealth fighters.
The F-35 is the Pentagon’s most expensive weapons program at approximately $100 million each and a lifecycle cost of $1.7 trillion, Bloomberg reported in September.

Forbes magazine declared the platform a failure last month after the Air Force chief of staff, Gen. Charles Brown Jr., launched a study to look for a new, affordable, lightweight platform to replace the service’s fleet of decade-old F-16s, which is what the F-35 was originally designed to do.
Brown told reporters on Feb. 17 that the F-35 was having engine wear issues, Air Force Magazine reported. Brown suggested pilots might have to fly the costly and bulky airframe less than expected.

[doge]

Wow! Sevens F-35 formation. CooooL...

[doge]

Further photos.

[Gamera]

http://www.asagumo-news.com/homepage/ht ... 30903.html

Friday, 29 January 2021:
3rd Koukuudan, JASDF, based at Misawa AB, Aomori Prefefture.

Photo of 20 years old members of Maintenance Supply Group, 3rd Koukuudan, JASDF, taken before a F-35A.

In Japan, youths become adults at 20 years old.
For example, 20 years old is legal drinking age.

This year, at Misawa AB, 71 members are 20 years old, have group photos taken before a F-35A, and receive souvenirs.

[doge]

From @0:45~ A rare angle viewpoint of an F-35 flight taken from another aircraft cockpit can be seen in this video. However, it will only show a moment. (Less than 5 seconds.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WxR6pAIMsZs

[doge]

WoW.
https://www.defense.gov/observe/photo-g ... 002613089/

Formation Flight
Photo By: Air Force Staff Sgt. Matthew Kakaris
U.S. Air Force F-22 Raptors from the 199th Fighter Squadron and Japan Air Self-Defense Force F-35A Lightning II aircraft from the 302nd Tactical Fighter Squadron fly alongside a USAF KC-135 Stratotanker from the 909th Air Refueling Squadron during fifth generation fighter training near Japan, Apr. 1, 2021.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w4ysw0Jy_lo

[spazsinbad]

I could start a thread in the base sub-forum but as the 'news which must be true' is in Japanese which is true I can't read:

Japan to bed down its F-35Bs at Nyutabaru Air Base
04 Apr 2021 ALERT5

"Japan has decided to bed down its F-35Bs at Nyutabaru Air Base in Miyazaki Prefecture, Yomiuri reports.

The jets will train at a Field Carrier Landing Practice facility that Japan is building for the U.S. military at Mageshima island. Just south of Nyutabaru Air Base."

Source: http://alert5.com/2021/04/04/japan-to-b ... -air-base/

[Gamera]

(As usual, IMO, "I'll believe it when I see it.")

https://www.fnn.jp/articles/-/164768
https://www.tokyo-np.co.jp/article/95784

2021/04/04

During or after fiscal year 2024, JASDF F-35B squadron(s) may be based at Nyuutabaru AB, Miyazaki Prefecture.

These F-35B may operate from JDS Izumo and JDS Kaga of JMSDF.

[Corsair1963]

The 305th Tactical Fighter Squadron (F-15J) also operate out of Nyutabaru Air Base. So, are they planned to convert to the F-35A or just stick with the existing Eagles? (upgraded)

[Corsair1963]

(As usual, IMO, "I'll believe it when I see it.")

https://www.fnn.jp/articles/-/164768
https://www.tokyo-np.co.jp/article/95784

2021/04/04

During or after fiscal year 2024, JASDF F-35B squadron(s) may be based at Nyuutabaru AB, Miyazaki Prefecture.

These F-35B may operate from JDS Izumo and JDS Kaga of JMSDF.

Actually, this makes perfect sense. As Nyutabaru Air Base is near Kure Naval Base and the new Field Carrier Landing Practice facility that Japan is building for USMC F-35B's.

It's also not far from Okinawa and Taiwan....

[spazsinbad]

I could start a thread in the base sub-forum but as the 'news which must be true' is in Japanese which is true I can't read:

Japan to bed down its F-35Bs at Nyutabaru Air Base 04 Apr 2021 ALERT5 "Japan has decided to bed down its F-35Bs at Nyutabaru Air Base in Miyazaki Prefecture, Yomiuri reports. The jets will train at a Field Carrier Landing Practice facility that Japan is building for the U.S. military at Mageshima island. Just south of Nyutabaru Air Base." Source: http://alert5.com/2021/04/04/japan-to-b ... -air-base/

AAHHH DIS MUST BE DA PLACE...

Talking Heads - This Must Be The Place https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o9gK2fOq4MY

[Gamera]

Geographically, Nyuutabaru AB is in Miyazaki Prefecture, down on Kyuushuu Island.
JMSDF Kure is in Hiroshima Prefecture, up on Honshuu Island.

WRT the four major naval bases (Kure, Maiduru, Sasebo, Yokosuka), JMSDF Sasebo in Nagasaki Prefecture, also on Kyuushuu Island, is closer to Nyuutabaru AB.

BTW, USAAF mistranslated the air base name as Nittahara, because Nyuutabaru is how the name is pronounced in local (Miyazaki Prefecture) accent/dialect.

[Corsair1963]

Geographically, Nyuutabaru AB is in Miyazaki Prefecture, down on Kyuushuu Island.
JMSDF Kure is in Hiroshima Prefecture, up on Honshuu Island.

WRT the four major naval bases (Kure, Maiduru, Sasebo, Yokosuka), JMSDF Sasebo in Nagasaki Prefecture, also on Kyuushuu Island, is closer to Nyuutabaru AB.

BTW, USAAF mistranslated the air base name as Nittahara, because Nyuutabaru is how the name is pronounced in local (Miyazaki Prefecture) accent/dialect.

Kaga is based in Kure and Izumo in Yokosuka....

QUOTE: Regarding specific operations, ▽ Training onboard the "Kaga" whose home port is Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni (Kure City, Hiroshima Prefecture) ▽ With F35B deployed at the U.S.M.C Iwakuni Base (Iwakuni City, Yamaguchi Prefecture) Joint training ▽ Takeoff and landing training at the Self-Defense Forces base scheduled to be constructed on Mageshima (Nishinoomote City, Kagoshima Prefecture) is envisioned. The Nittahara base is geographically close to these bases, and we have determined that it is the best place to deploy.

Also, while Nittahara maybe more appropriate most refer to it as Nyuutabaru.

[spazsinbad]

It's all double dutch OR double japanese? to me. <sigh> Somewhere in Japan F-35Bs based - all your base are belong to us.

https://www.theverge.com/2021/2/17/2228 ... et-culture

https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/v4fnK96 ... 7:1113x693)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/68830199/all_your_base_are_belong_to_us.0.jpg

https://www.flickr.com/photos/joeclark/4570275380 [Calvin & Hobbs Cartoonie]