Japan’s Air Force in 2026: Every Aircraft the JASDF Flies, Ranked

Japan’s air force is officially the Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF), and its backbone is still the F-15J. Japan’s Ministry of Defense counted 200 F-15J and F-15DJ fighters on March 31, 2026, more than the F-2 and F-35 fleets combined.

The force it is turning into looks different. Japan plans to buy 147 F-35s, and it is building a new fighter with the UK and Italy for the 2030s.

This list ranks every type the JASDF flies by fighting value as of October 2026: what it adds in a war, weighed against how many Japan actually has. Counts come from the 2026 Defense of Japan white paper, with FlightGlobal’s World Air Forces 2026 directory for the types the white paper leaves out.

Rank	Aircraft	Role	In service	On order or planned
1	F-15J/DJ Eagle	Air superiority fighter	200	JSI upgrade, first 20 by FY2029
2	F-35A Lightning II	Stealth multirole fighter	46	105 planned
3	F-2A/B	Multirole and anti-ship fighter	90	Missile upgrade
4	E-767, E-2C, E-2D	Airborne early warning	22	7 more E-2D
5	F-35B Lightning II	STOVL stealth fighter	8	42 planned
6	KC-46A, KC-767	Aerial tanker	10	2 more KC-46A funded
7	Kawasaki C-2	Jet transport	18	More on order
8	RQ-4B Global Hawk	High-altitude spy drone	3 (one lost Sept. 2026)	None
9	UH-60J	Search and rescue helicopter	39	More on order
10	C-130H Hercules	Tactical transport	13	None

1. F-15J/DJ Eagle: The Interceptor Japan Still Leans On

Japan’s F-15 Eagle fleet is 200 strong: single-seat F-15Js and two-seat F-15DJs on the Defense Ministry’s books. Its top speed is Mach 2.5, the fastest of any JASDF type.

They do most of the daily work. The F-15J handles most of Japan’s air defense identification zone intercepts, and Okinawa-based squadrons fly most of the scrambles, mostly against Chinese aircraft.

The best of them are being rebuilt. The Japan Super Interceptor (JSI) program covers 68 F-15Js already modernized under an earlier upgrade, starting with 20, and Japan’s acquisition agency moved completion of those 20 from the end of FY2027 to the end of FY2029.

The upgraded jets will carry the JASSM long-range cruise missile, according to the FY2026 defense budget. That gives an air-defense fighter a strike role it never had.

2. F-35A Lightning II: The Future Front Line

Japan had 46 F-35A stealth fighters on March 31, 2026. It plans to buy 105, and the FY2026 budget pays for eight more at ¥149.3 billion.

Misawa, in the north, was the only F-35A base until April 1, 2025, when the first three jets in the newer Technology Refresh-3 configuration arrived at Komatsu on the Sea of Japan coast. That gave Japan 41 F-35As at the time, Janes reported.

It ranks below the F-15J only on numbers. Stealth, sensor fusion and the Joint Strike Missile make it Japan’s most capable fighter jet, and by the time all 105 are delivered it will be the backbone. For the full fighter ranking, see our list of the best fighter jets of Japan.

3. F-2A/B: Japan’s Ship Killer

The Mitsubishi F-2 is a Japanese fighter developed from the F-16, and its signature job is attacking ships heading for Japan’s islands. The ministry counts 90 F-2A and F-2B jets.

That job is getting a longer reach. The FY2026 budget spends ¥9.7 billion to fit nine F-2s with the air-launched version of the upgraded Type-12 anti-ship missile.

The F-2 is the jet Japan’s next fighter is meant to replace. That fighter is the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP), shared with the UK and Italy, and its joint agency signed a contract with the industry venture Edgewing on July 3, 2026, covering work through the end of 2027.

4. E-767 and E-2C/D: The Eyes Over the East China Sea

Japan flies four E-767s, airborne warning and control aircraft built on the Boeing 767 airliner. They are the largest radar planes in the fleet.

Below them sits a bigger fleet of propeller-driven radar planes: 7 older E-2C Hawkeyes and 11 newer E-2Ds, with 7 more E-2Ds on order, according to FlightGlobal. Together they spot the Chinese and Russian aircraft that trigger the scrambles.

5. F-35B Lightning II: Stealth Jets for Japan’s Carriers

The first three F-35Bs, the short-takeoff, vertical-landing version, arrived at Nyutabaru Air Base on August 7, 2025. The ministry counted eight on March 31, 2026, the full number planned for that fiscal year.

Japan plans 42 in all, and the FY2026 budget buys three more for ¥72.5 billion. The same budget funds the work to fly them from the Navy’s Izumo-class ships.

An air base for F-35B vertical landings is being built on the uninhabited island of Mageshima, 100 miles (160 km) south of Nyutabaru, and was expected to be ready by 2030.

6. KC-46A and KC-767: The Tankers

Japan’s fighters patrol a long chain of islands, and tankers keep them there. The ministry counts six KC-46A Pegasus tankers and four older KC-767s, plus three propeller-driven KC-130Hs.

The FY2026 budget buys two more KC-46As for ¥87.7 billion. FlightGlobal’s late-2025 count was lower, at four KC-46As, which shows how fast the fleet is growing.

7. Kawasaki C-2: The Homegrown Airlifter

The Kawasaki C-2 is a Japanese-designed jet transport with a top speed of Mach 0.82, against about 320 knots for the propeller-driven C-130H. The ministry counts 18, and the white paper lists it among the transports Japan is buying to move troops to its southwest islands.

It replaced the Kawasaki C-1. The last transport C-1s flew on March 14, 2025, and the one-off EC-1 electronic warfare version retired the day before.

A spy version, the RC-2, flies too: FlightGlobal counts one, and the FY2026 budget buys a second for ¥50.3 billion.

8. RQ-4B Global Hawk: Down to Two

Japan bought three RQ-4B Global Hawk drones for long, high-altitude surveillance flights from Misawa. The white paper still lists three, but that count is out of date.

On September 15, 2026, Global Hawk 23-6003 lost contact about two hours and 20 minutes after taking off from Misawa and crashed in the Sea of Japan, about 31 miles (50 km) off Tottori Prefecture. That leaves two.

9. UH-60J: The Rescue Fleet

The JASDF’s rescue squadrons fly the UH-60J, a long-range rescue version of the Black Hawk. The ministry counts 39.

Sources differ here more than anywhere else: FlightGlobal counts 61 UH-60Js. They fly with the U-125A, a Hawker 800 business jet converted to find people from the air, of which FlightGlobal counts 25.

10. C-130H Hercules: The Workhorse

Japan flies 13 C-130H Hercules transports for short, rough runways and airdrops. They round out a transport force the C-2 is slowly taking over.

The Rest of the Fleet: Trainers, Helicopters and Japanese Air Force One

Behind the ranked types sits a large training and support fleet. The white paper does not count most of it, so these figures come from FlightGlobal’s late-2025 directory.

Aircraft	Role	In service
Kawasaki T-4	Jet trainer, Blue Impulse	178
Fuji T-7	Basic trainer	49
T-400 (Beechjet 400)	Multi-engine trainer	13
CH-47J Chinook	Transport helicopter	15 (ministry count)
U-125A (Hawker 800)	Search and rescue jet	25
U-4 (Gulfstream IV)	Utility and liaison	5
YS-11EB	Electronic intelligence	3
Boeing 777-300ER	Government transport	2

The Kawasaki T-4 is the most numerous JASDF type after the F-15, and more than 200 have entered service since 1988. Japan has chosen the T-6 Texan II to replace the T-7, but it has not yet picked a successor for the T-4.

Six T-4s fly with Blue Impulse, Japan’s display team, formally the 11th Squadron of the 4th Air Wing at Matsushima. The current team has flown the T-4 since December 1995.

Japan’s equivalent of Air Force One is a pair of Boeing 777-300ERs flown by the JASDF’s Special Airlift Group from Chitose. They were received in August and December 2018 and took over from two 747-400s in April 2019.

Why It Is a Self-Defense Force, and Its New Name

Japan’s postwar constitution renounces war, so its air arm was founded on July 1, 1954, as a self-defense force rather than an air force. It had 42,324 personnel in 2026, against an authorized strength of 47,131.

It is about to change its name. On June 26, 2026, the Diet passed a law making it the Japan Aerospace Self-Defense Force, still abbreviated JASDF, to reflect its growing space role.

Japan also hosts major US air bases. Kadena, on Okinawa, home of the 18th Wing, is the largest US installation in the Asia-Pacific, and Yokota, near Tokyo, is headquarters for US Forces Japan and the Fifth Air Force.

For how the JASDF compares with its neighbors, see China’s air force, the force behind most of those scrambles, and South Korea’s air force.

FAQ

Does Japan have an air force?

Yes. Japan’s air force is the Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF), founded on July 1, 1954. It is called a self-defense force because Japan’s postwar constitution renounces war, but it flies modern fighters including the F-15J, F-2 and F-35.

How strong is Japan's air force?

It is one of the strongest in Asia. On March 31, 2026, it had 200 F-15Js, 90 F-2s, 46 F-35As and 8 F-35Bs, backed by radar planes and tankers, and 42,324 personnel. Its fighters scrambled 595 times in fiscal 2025.

What is Japan's best fighter jet?

The F-35A is Japan’s most capable fighter, thanks to its stealth and sensors. Japan had 46 on March 31, 2026, and plans to buy 105, plus 42 F-35Bs. The F-15J is still the most numerous, with 200 in service.

How many F-35s does Japan have?

Japan had 54 F-35s on March 31, 2026: 46 F-35As and 8 F-35Bs, according to the Defense of Japan 2026 white paper. Its plan is 147 in total, and the FY2026 budget buys 8 more F-35As and 3 more F-35Bs.

Does the United States have an air force base in Japan?

Yes, several. Kadena Air Base on Okinawa, home of the 18th Wing, is the largest US installation in the Asia-Pacific, and Yokota Air Base near Tokyo hosts US Forces Japan, the Fifth Air Force and the 374th Airlift Wing.

Is the Japan Air Self-Defense Force changing its name?

Yes. A law passed on June 26, 2026 renames it the Japan Aerospace Self-Defense Force, still abbreviated JASDF. The JASDF says the change happens within fiscal 2026, and Breaking Defense reports it takes effect on April 1, 2027.

What is Japanese Air Force One?

Japan’s government aircraft are two Boeing 777-300ERs flown by the JASDF’s Special Airlift Group from Chitose. They were delivered in 2018 and replaced two 747-400s in April 2019, carrying the prime minister and the imperial family.