3rd Tactical Fighter Squadron (JASDF)

3rd Tactical Fighter Squadron
第3飛行隊
3 Squadron Mitsubishi F-2As (2011)
Active	October 1, 1956-present
Country	Japan
Branch	Japan Air Self-Defense Force
Part of	Central Air Defense Force, 7rd Air Wing
Garrison/HQ	Hyakuri Air Base
Aircraft flown
Fighter	Mitsubishi F-2
Trainer	Kawasaki T-4

The 3rd Tactical Fighter Squadron (第3飛行隊 (dai-sann-hikoutai)) is a squadron of the 7th Air Wing of the Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF) based at Hyakuri Air Base, in Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan. It is equipped with Mitsubishi F-2 and Kawasaki T-4 aircraft.^[1][2]

It is currently the longest-serving JASDF squadron, as the 1st and 2nd Squadrons have been disbanded.^[3]

History

On October 1, 1956 the squadron was formed at Hamamatsu Air Base in Shizuoka Prefecture as part of the 2nd Air Wing, equipped with the F-86F Sabre. On September 2, 1957 it relocated to Chitose Air Base in Hokkaido Prefecture. On March 5, 1963 it moved to Matsushima Air Base in Miyagi Prefecture and was transferred to the 4th Air Wing. On February 1, 1964, as part of the 81st Air Group, the squadron moved again to Hachinohe Air Base in Aomori Prefecture. On December 12, 1971 it relocated to Misawa Air Base, also in Aomori Prefecture.

On March 31, 1978 it updated from the F-86F to the Mitsubishi F-1 and was transferred to the 3rd Air Wing.^[3] From late March 2001 the squadron started replacing its F-1 aircraft with Mitsubishi F-2s. It was the first operational F-2 squadron.^[4] On March 19, 2004 it started flying the F-2.^[5]

In October 2016 the squadron conducted Exercise "Guardian North 2016" at Misawa. This was a joint exercise with four Eurofighter Typhoon FGR4 aircraft of 2 Squadron of the Royal Air Force. It was the first time British and Japanese fighter aircraft had trained together,^[6][7] the first time fighters from the two countries had met since World War II,^[8] and the first time the JASDF had trained in Japan with non-US military forces.^[9]

On March 26, 2020 unit officially transitioned from Misawa Air Base to Hyakuri Air Base. ^[10]

Tail marking

The squadron's current tail marking is a samurai's helmeted head in profile. A colorful design was adopted in 1983 when the squadron still operated F-1 aircraft. Since the squadron began operating the F-2s in maritime camouflage the tail marking design has been made smaller and less colorful.^[3]

Aircraft operated

Fighter aircraft

• North American F-86F Sabre（1956–1978）
• Mitsubishi F-1 (1978–2002）
• Mitsubishi F-2 (2001–present)

Liaison aircraft

• Lockheed T-33A (1956–1992)
• Mitsubishi T-2 (1978–2002)
• Kawasaki T-4 (1990–present)

See also

• Fighter units of the Japan Air Self-Defense Force

References

air staffstructure

Air Defense Command	Northern Air Defense Force 2nd Air Wing 201st Tactical Fighter Squadron 203rd Tactical Fighter Squadron 3rd Air Wing 301st Tactical Fighter Squadron 302nd Tactical Fighter Squadron Northern Air Command Support Flight Northern Aircraft Control & Warning Wing Northern Air Defense Missile Group Northern Air Civil Engineering Group Northen Band Central Air Defense Force 6th Air Wing 303rd Tactical Fighter Squadron 306th Tactical Fighter Squadron 7th Air Wing 3rd Tactical Fighter Squadron Central Aircraft Control & Warning Wing Central Air Defense Missile Group 4th Air Defense Missile Group Central Air Command Support Squadron Central Air Civil Engineering Group Central Band Iwo Jima Air Base Group Western Air Defense Force 5th Air Wing 305th Tactical Fighter Squadron 8th Air Wing 6th Tactical Fighter Squadron 8th Tactical Fighter Squadron Western Air Command Support Squadron Western Aircraft Control & Warning Wing Western Air Defense Missile Group Western Air Civil Engineering Group Western Band Southwestern Air Defense Force 9th Air Wing 204th Tactical Fighter Squadron 304th Tactical Fighter Squadron Southwestern Air Command Support Flight Southwestern Aircraft Control & Warning Wing Southwestern Air Defense Missile Group Southwestern Air Civil Engineering Group Southwestern Band Air Tactics Development Wing Tactical Fighter Training Group Air Defense Missile Training Group Electronic Warfare Operation Group Base Defense Development & Training Squadron Tactical Air Support Squadron directly controlled units Air Rescue Wing Airborne Warning and Control Wing Air Intelligence Wing Operations Support Wing Reconnaissance Group
Air Support Command	1st Tactical Airlift Group 401st Tactical Airlift Squadron 404th Tactical Airlift Tanker Squadron 2nd Tactical Airlift Group 402nd Tactical Airlift Squadron 3rd Tactical Airlift Group 403rd Tactical Airlift Squadron 405th Air Refuelling Squadron Air Traffic Control Service Group Air Weather Service Group Flight Check Squadron Special Airlift Group Aero Medical Evacuation Squadron
Air Training Command	1st Air Wing 31st Training Squadron 32nd Training Squadron 41st Flight Training Squadron 4th Air Wing 21st Fighter Training Squadron Blue Impulse (11th Squadron) 11th Flight Training Wing 12th Flight Training Wing 13th Flight Training Wing Air Basic Training Wing Fighter Training Group Air Training Aids Group Air Officer Candidate School Technical Schools 1st 3rd 4th 5th
Air Development and Test Command	Air Development and Test Wing Electronics Development and Test Group Aeromedical Laboratory
Air Material Command	Air Depots 2nd 3rd 4th
units controlled by the Defense Minister	Air Communications and System Wing Aero Safety Service Group Air Staff College Air Police Group Central Air Base Group Central Band Space Operations Group

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