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List of active Japanese military aircraft

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This list intends to give an accurate detail list of the equipment currently fielded by the Japanese Self-Defence Forces.

Japanese Air Self-Defence Force

This is a detailed list of the current fleet and the aircraft on order by the Japanese Air Selfe-Defence Force.

Fixed-wing aircraft

Aircraft Origin Type Variant In service On order Notes
Combat Aircraft
F-15 Eagle United States

Japan

Air superiority Mitsubishi F-15J 155 [1] — 213 built, 13 lost.
Conversion trainer Mitsubishi F-15DJ 44 [1] —
Mitsubishi F-2 Japan Multirole F-2A 62 [1] — 98 built, 4 prototypes [2]
Conversion trainer F-2B 24 [1] —
F-35 Lightning II United States Swing role F-35A 36 [1] + 69 105 F-35A + 42 F-35B ordered. [3][4]

1 F-35A lost in 2019.[5]

F-35B 0 [1] + 42
Airborne early warning and control
Boeing E-767 United States AEW&C — 4 [6] — Based on the B767-200ER.
E-2 Hawkeye United States AEW&C E-2C 10 [7] — Being retired, 13 were purchased, (4 in 1979, 4 in 1981, 3 in 1989, 2 in 1990)[8]
AEW&C E-2D 6 [7] + 12 Replacing the E-2C, orders: 4 in 2015[8], 9 in 2018[9], 5 in August 2023[10]
Electronic Warfare
NAMC YS-11 Japan Electronic warfare EA 2 — 2 EA, 4EB delivered, number operational unclear, conflicting information
ELINT EB 4 —
Kawasaki C-2 Japan ELINT and Electronic countermeasure aircraft RC-2 1 [11][12] — Successor of the Kawasaki EC-1 [13]
Tanker
Boeing KC-767 United States Aerial refueling / transport KC-767J 4 [14][15] — Selected in 2001, contract 2003. [16]
Boeing KC-46 Pegasus United States Aerial refueling / transport KC-46A 2 [17] +4 4 ordered in 2016 [18]

2 ordered in 2022 [19]

Lockheed Martin KC-130 United States Helicopter aerial refueling KC-130H 3 [14] —
Transport
Boeing 777 United States VIP transport 777-300ER 2 [20] —
Kawasaki C-1 Japan Tactical and strategic transport — 6 [21][22] — Being retired and replaced by the C-2.[23]
Kawasaki C-2 Japan Tactical and strategic transport — 13 [21] + 7 [22]
Lockheed C-130 Hercules United States Tactical transport C-130H 14 [22] —
Flight inspection
Gulfstream IV United States Flight inspection U-4 [24] 5 [25] — Inspecting the air navigation facilities and air traffic control facilities of the JSDF.
British Aerospace 125 United Kingdom Flight inspection U-125A 2 [26] —
Cessna Citation Latitude United States Flight inspection U-680A 2 [27] + 1
Search and rescue
Hawker 800 United Kingdom SAR U-125A 26 [28] — To be retired [29]
Trainer Aircraft
Fuji T-7 Japan Basic trainer T-3 KAI 49 [30] — Succeeded to the T-3.
Kawasaki T-4 Japan Advanced trainer — 198 [30] — To be replaced likely by the T-7A Red Hawk. [31]
Raytheon T-1 Jayhawk United States Jet trainer T-400 13 [30] —
Kawasaki C-1 Japan Trainer aircraft for

ECM and ELINT

EC-1 1 [32][30] — Replaced by the RC-2, used for training. [33]

Rotary wing

Aircraft Origin Type Variant In service On order Notes
Combat helicopters
Boeing CH-47 Chinook United States

Japan

Transport

/ Utility

CH-47J 15 [34] — Licensed built by Kawasaki Heavy Industries
Mitsubishi H-60 United States

Japan

Utility

/ SAR

UH-60J 37 [34] — Licensed built by Mitsubishi, 40 ordered in 2010 to replace 40 older variants of the UH-60J [35]. 1 at least crashed [36]
RQ-4B Global Hawk

UAV

Aircraft Origin Type Variant In service On order Notes
UAV
RQ-4 Global Hawk United States Surveillance RQ-4B 1 [37] + 2 [37]

Japan Maritime Self-Defence Force aircraft

This is a detailed list of the current fleet and the aircraft on order by the Japan Maritime Self-Defence Force.

Fixed-wing aircraft

Aircraft Origin Type Variant In service On order Notes
Maritime Patrol
Kawasaki P-1 Japan ASW / maritime patrol — 33 [38] 3 + 34 Successor to the P-3 Orion
Lockheed P-3 Orion United States ASW / maritime patrol P-3C 42 [38] — Being replaced by Kawasaki P-1
Lockheed EP-3 United States ELINT EP-3 ELINT 5 [38] —
Lockheed OP-3 United States Surveillance OP-3C 4 [38] —
Learjet 35 United States Surveillance 36 4 [38] —
Transport
Lockheed C-130 Hercules United States Transport C-130R 6 [38] —
ShinMaywa US-2 Japan Transport / SAR — 6 [38] —
Super King Air United States Utility C-90 5 [38] —
Trainer Aircraft
Fuji T-3 Japan Trainer — 32 [38] —
Super King Air United States Utility 90 12 [38] —
P-3 Orion United States Conversion trainer UP-3D 3 [38] —

Rotary wing

Aircraft Origin Type Variant In service On order Notes
Helicopters
AgustaWestland AW101 Japan

United Kingdom

Italy

Transport / minesweeper MCH-101 12 [38] 1 [38] More will be produced [39]
Mitsubishi H-60 United States

Japan

SAR SH-60J 12 [40] —
ASW SH-60K 73 [41] — 2 lost in 2024[42]
ASW SH-60L — 12 [43] Improved version of SH-60K [43]
Trainer Aircraft
Airbus H135 Germany Helicopter trainer TH-135 15 [38] —

Japan Ground Self-Defence Force

This is a detailed list of the current fleet and the aircraft on order by the Japan Ground Self-Defence Force..

Fixed-wing aircraft

Beechcraft Super King Air B300
Aircraft Origin Type Variant In service On order Notes
Fixed-wing aircraft
Beechcraft Super King Air B300 United States Reconnaissance and communications LR-2 8 [44] —

Rotary wing

Aircraft Origin Type Variant In service On order Notes
Fixed-wing aircraft
Beechcraft Super King Air B300 United States Reconnaissance and communications LR-2 8 [44] —
Tilt-rotor aircraft
Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey United States V/STOL military transport aircraft MV-22B 14 [45] + 3 [45] 17 planned in total [46]
Combat helicopter
Boeing AH-64 Apache United States

Japan

Attack helicopter AH-64DJP 12 [44] — 13 built by Fuji. One crashed on 5 February 2018.[47]
Bell AH-1 Cobra United States

Japan

Attack helicopter AH-1S 48 [44] — Built by Fuji.
Kawasaki OH-1 Japan Scout helicopter OH-1 37 [44] — Replaced the OH-6D fleet.
UH-60 Black Hawk United States

Japan

Transport helicopter UH-60JA 40 [44] — Most built by Mitsubishi
Bell UH-1 United States

Japan

Utility helicopter UH-1H
UH-1J 		115 [44] — Built by Fuji. To be replaced by a version of the Bell 412 EPI.
Bell 412 Canada

United States

Japan

Utility helicopter UH-2

Bell 412 EPI

6 [45] + 21

+123 [45]

150 planned to be ordered in the programme.[48][49]

Confirmed purchases:

  • 6 ordered in 2019
  • 20 ordered in 2021
  • 13 ordered in 2023
Boeing CH-47 Chinook United States

Japan

Transport helicopter CH-47J
CH-47JA 		50 [44] — Built by Kawasaki
Trainer aircraft
Enstrom 480 United States Trainer helicopter TH-480B 30 [45] —
Japanese Emperor’s Royal Flight Service
Eurocopter EC 225 France VIP helicopter EC 225LP 3 — Replacing the AS332L[50][51]

Unmanned aerial vehicles

Aircraft Origin Type Variant In service On order Notes
UAV
Fuji FFOS

and

Fuji FFRS

Japan Reconnaissance UAV — — — Small helicopter unmanned aerial vehicle. Primarily used as a forward reconnaissance platform for field artillery.[52][53]
Boeing Insitu ScanEagle United States Reconnaissance UAV — 1 — Delivered by Insitu Pacific[54]
Yamaha R-MAX Japan Reconnaissance UAV — — — Small helicopter unmanned aerial vehicle[55]
Honeywell RQ-16 T-Hawk United States Surveillance unmanned aerial vehicle — — — Apparently in service in some numbers with the Central Readiness Force. Used primarily for hazardous area reconnaissance (e.g. radiation survey).

Future aircraft

Japanese Air Self-Defence Force

Aircraft / Programme Origin Type On order Notes
Combat Aircraft
Advanced fighter jet programme

"Global Combat Air Programme"

Japan

United Kingdom

Italy

6th generation jet fighter 0 Treaty signed in December 2023.

Successor of the F-2. To be in service by 2035. [56]

Bomber
Kawasaki C-2 Japan Jet bomber 0 Japan is considering to mount the Rapid Dragon system on the C-2 aircraft to make it a lang-range bomber at a low cost. [57]
Trainer
T-7A Red Hawk United States

Sweden

Advanced trainer 0 Japan expressed interest in the replacement of the Kawasaki T-4 with the T-7A. [58]
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  24. ^ "U-4" (in Japanese). Retrieved 16 May 2020.
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  26. ^ "U-125". Japan Air Self Defense Force (in Japanese). Retrieved 16 May 2020.
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