Japan Air Self-Defense Force
Air warfare branch of Japan's armed forces
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| 2025 | Japan plans to procure 8 F-35A and 3 F-35B aircraft in the fiscal year. |
| 2024 | Japan plans to order 1 RC-2 reconnaissance aircraft with the budget. |
| 2024 | Japan plans to order 8 F-35A and 7 F-35B aircraft in the fiscal year. |
| 2024 | Japan plans to order 4 C-2 SOJ electronic warfare aircraft to replace the existing EC-1 fleet. |
| 2023 | Japan purchased 8 F-35A and 8 F-35B aircraft during the fiscal year. |
| October 22 2023 | JASDF conducted its first-ever trilateral exercise with the South Korean and United States air forces near the Korean Peninsula. |
| 2022 | Japan acquired 8 F-35A and 4 F-35B aircraft in the fiscal year. |
| May 22 2022 | Friendship Festival continued on May 22, coinciding with US President Joe Biden's visit to Japan and arrival of related equipment, including Air Force One. |
| May 21 2022 | Friendship Festival held on May 21, three months earlier than the usual May timeframe. |
| 2021 | NAMC YS-11 aircraft retired from the Japan Air Self-Defense Force electronic warfare fleet. |
| 2021 | NHK reported Chinese military cyberattacks on nearly 200 Japanese research institutions and firms using a hacker group called Tick. |
| 2021 | Friendship Festival was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. |
| 2021 | NAMC YS-11 aircraft retired from service. |
| 2021 | Japan procured 4 F-35A and 2 F-35B aircraft during the fiscal year. |
| March 17 2021 | Mitsubishi F-4EJ Phantom II was retired after 50 years of service with the JASDF, being replaced by the F-35A. |
| 2020 | Friendship Festival was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. |
| 2020 | Japan continued F-35 procurement, acquiring 3 F-35A and 6 F-35B aircraft in the fiscal year. |
| November 17 2020 | Japan and Australia agreed in-principle to sign a Reciprocal Access Agreement (RAA) to enhance strategic and defense cooperation. |
| September 10 2020 | Japan and India signed the Acquisition and Cross-Servicing Agreement (ACSA), a military pact allowing exchange of logistical support and supplies to counter Chinese aggression in Asia. |
| May 19 2020 | JASDF officially inaugurated its Space Operation Squadron, marking a significant expansion of its operational capabilities into space-related military activities. |
| October 21 2019 | A senior U.S. military officer in Tokyo called for Japan to reconsider its constitutional restrictions on offensive weaponry and to inform the public about threats from China and North Korea. |
| July 1 2019 | University of Maryland Global Campus (UMGC) was renamed from its previous title of University of Maryland University College. |
| June 20 2019 | Two Russian bombers (Tupolev Tu-95) violated Japanese airspace twice on the same day. |
| May 2019 | JMSDF participated in two quadrilateral naval exercises for the first time, including a sail-through in the South China Sea with naval ships of the United States, India, and the Philippines, and the La Pérouse exercise in the Bay of Bengal with France, United States, and Australia. |
| May 28 2019 | U.S. President Donald Trump inspected the Izumo-class warship during his visit to Japan, becoming the first U.S. president to inspect a Japanese warship and supporting Japan's active role in Pacific defense. |
| April 19 2019 | Japan and the United States confirmed that cyberattacks are covered by their bilateral security treaty, agreeing to increase defense cooperation in cyber, space, and electronic warfare. |
| 2018 | JASDF began promoting its fried chicken (karaage) recipe to increase its popularity, initiating culinary competitions with other military branches. |
| 2018 | First female pilot of an F-15 joined the JASDF, breaking the previous ban on women becoming fighter jet and reconnaissance aircraft pilots. |
| October 29 2018 | Japan and the United States conducted their largest military exercise, Keen Sword, involving 57,000 sailors, marines, and airmen from both countries and Canada. |
| October 4 2018 | Japan christened the Oryu submarine, its first submarine powered by lithium-ion batteries, developed by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. |
| June 11 2018 | Naha Detachment rescued the pilot of a US F-15C from the 44th Fighter Squadron after the pilot ejected over the sea off Okinawa. |
| April 5 2018 | Five CV-22 Osprey tiltrotor aircraft were deployed to the base, marking the first permanent deployment outside of Okinawa and sparking local protests. The number of aircraft is expected to eventually reach 10. |
| 2017 | The Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP) strategy became the official policy of Japan and the United States. |
| 2017 | New Yokota High School construction was completed, replacing the old school building. |
| October 17 2017 | A JASDF UH-60J helicopter from the Hamamatsu Detachment crashed into the sea off Shizuoka Prefecture during night rescue drills. Wreckage was found, but the four crew members were not located. |
| June 2017 | UH-60JA aircraft of the Air Rescue Wing practiced night air-to-air refueling with US forces. |
| May 2017 | Prime Minister Shinzo Abe set a 2020 deadline for revising Article 9 of the Japanese Constitution to allow for a more normal military with potential offensive capabilities. |
| March 2016 | Japan's Legislation for Peace and Security was implemented, enabling seamless responses of the JSDF to protect Japanese people and increase proactive contributions to global peace and security. |
| 2015 | Construction began on a new '21st century' Yokota High School building. |
| 2013 | The air base was attacked again by Kakurokyo members using improvised mortar barrages. |
| May 28 2013 | Air Rescue Wing Naha Detachment rescued the pilot of a US Air Force F-15C from the 44th Fighter Squadron after it crashed into the ocean off Okinawa. |
| March 26 2012 | JASDF Yokota Air Base started operations. |
| March 26 2012 | JASDF Headquarters relocated from Fuchu Air Base to Yokota Air Base to strengthen the U.S.-Japan Security Alliance. |
| March 2011 | Personnel and aircraft from the base assisted with Operation Tomodachi during the Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami and Fukushima I nuclear accidents. Around 600 American family members voluntarily departed the base during the crisis. |
| 2010 | Two JASDF C-130H aircraft from the 401st Tactical Airlift Squadron received air-to-air refueling equipment to support UH-60J helicopter operations. |
| April 2010 | Colonel Frank Eppich, the USAF commander, banned screenings of the film The Cove at the base theater. |
This contents of the box above is based on material from the Wikipedia articles Military history of Japan, Air Rescue Wing (JASDF), Yokota Air Base & Japan Air Self-Defense Force, which are released under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.