Jump to content
 







Main menu
   


Navigation  



Main page
Contents
Current events
Random article
About Wikipedia
Contact us
Donate
 




Contribute  



Help
Learn to edit
Community portal
Recent changes
Upload file
 








Search  

































Create account

Log in
 









Create account
 Log in
 




Pages for logged out editors learn more  



Contributions
Talk
 



















Contents

   



(Top)
 


1 History  





2 Tail markings  





3 In popular culture  





4 Aircraft operated  



4.1  Fighter aircraft  





4.2  Liaison aircraft  







5 See also  





6 References  



6.1  Bibliography  
















303rd Tactical Fighter Squadron (JASDF)







 

Edit links
 









Article
Talk
 

















Read
Edit
View history
 








Tools
   


Actions  



Read
Edit
View history
 




General  



What links here
Related changes
Upload file
Special pages
Permanent link
Page information
Cite this page
Get shortened URL
Download QR code
Wikidata item
 




Print/export  



Download as PDF
Printable version
 




In other projects  



Wikimedia Commons
 
















Appearance
   

 






From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 


303rd Tactical Fighter Squadron
第303飛行隊
303 Squadron Mitsubishi F-15Js
ActiveOctober 26, 1976-present
Country Japan
Branch Japan Air Self-Defense Force
Part ofCentral Air Defense Force, 6th Air Wing
Garrison/HQKomatsu Air Base
Nickname(s)"Fighting dragon"
Aircraft flown
FighterMitsubishi F-15J/DJ
TrainerKawasaki T-4

The 303rd Tactical Fighter Squadron (第303飛行隊 (dai-sann-byaku-sann-hikoutai)) is a squadron of the 6th Air Wing of the Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JSDF) based at Komatsu Air Base, in Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan. It is equipped with Mitsubishi F-15J/DJ and Kawasaki T-4 aircraft.[1][2]

History[edit]

The squadron was formed as the third of the JASDF's McDonnell Douglas F-4EJ Phantom II squadrons. It replaced the 4th Squadron, which had been equipped with North American F-86F Sabres, and was formed using some of the personnel from the 4th squadron. At the time the JASDF's squadron numbering system was dependent on the aircraft model used. There was a gap between the disbanding of the 4th and the founding of the 303rd due to discussions with the local community near the base about the F-4s being based there.[2]

On June 17, 1977, the squadron began quick reaction alert (QRA) flights. There were many intercepts of the regular "Tokyo Express" flights by Soviet aircraft such as Tupolev Tu-95 and Myasishchev M-4 bombers over the Sea of Japan. Some of them were transiting to or from the Soviet Union's Cam Ranh Base in southern Vietnam. During a QRA on June 27, 1980, a Tu-16 Badger of the Soviet Air Force on a Tokyo Express flight crashed near Komatsu Air BaseinIshikawa Prefecture in the Sea of Japan. There were no survivors. The remains of three crew members were recovered by the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force ship Nemuro.[3]

On December 1, 1987, the squadron re-equipped with F-15J/DJ aircraft. It was the first F-4 squadron to re-equip with the F-15. Unlike many JASDF fighter squadrons, it has been located at the same base for its entire existence.[1][2]

On 22 November 1995 F-15J 02-8919 flown by Lieutenant Tatsumi Higuchi was shot down by an AIM-9L Sidewinder missile accidentally fired by his wingman during air-intercept training over the Sea of Japan. The pilot ejected safely.[4][5]

The squadron participated in the US military exercise Cope NorthinGuam in 2000[2] and in the exercise Red Flag - Alaska in 2009,[6] 2011 and 2012. During the 2011 exercise it carried out bilateral exercises with the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) for the first time, flying with McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornets of the RAAF's No. 3 Squadron.[7][8]

In July 2018 aircraft of the squadron trained in Japanese airspace with US B-52 bombers.[9][10]

Tail markings[edit]

Tail marking (2010)

Originally the squadron's tail marking was of the 6th Air Wing's red, white and blue marking. In 1981 the tail marking changed to be that of a dragon inside a stylized "6". The squadron's call sign is "dragon", and in addition the dragon depicted in the tail marking is said to be the protector of Mount Haku, which is not far from the base.[2]

In popular culture[edit]

The squadron appeared in the 1993 anime film Patlabor 2: The Movie, the 2004 video game Drakengard, the 2006 anime series Yomigaeru Sora – Rescue Wings and the 2007 film Midnight Eagle.

Aircraft operated[edit]

303 Sqn Kawasaki T-4 (2012)

Fighter aircraft[edit]

Liaison aircraft[edit]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b Thompson, Paul JASDF – Order of Battle July 1, 2017 J-HangarSpace Retrieved September 21, 2017
  • ^ a b c d e Thompson, Paul JASDF – Squadron Histories J-HangarSpace Retrieved September 21, 2017
  • ^ Samurai Phantoms Retrieved September 27, 2017
  • ^ "F-15 Eagle Losses and Ejections". ejection-history.org.uk – Project Get Out and Walk. Archived from the original on 2007-12-21. Retrieved 2 March 2008.
  • ^ Davies and Didly 2007, p. 245
  • ^ Japan Air Self-Defense Force joins RED FLAG-Alaska training October 13, 2009 Retrieved September 22, 2017
  • ^ RAAF exercises with JASDF fighters for the first time July 27, 2011 Australian Aviation Retrieved September 25, 2017
  • ^ Volume 53 No 14 August 4, 2011 Air Force Magazine Retrieved September 25, 2017
  • ^ "US, Japan bomber-fighter integration training showcases strength of alliance". July 26, 2018. Retrieved July 28, 2018.
  • ^ "米軍との共同訓練の実施について" (PDF). www.mod.go. Ministry of Defense. July 30, 2018. Retrieved July 30, 2018. (in Japanese)
  • Bibliography[edit]


    Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=303rd_Tactical_Fighter_Squadron_(JASDF)&oldid=1094916274"

    Category: 
    Units of the Japan Air Self-Defense Force
    Hidden categories: 
    Articles with Japanese-language sources (ja)
    Articles with short description
    Short description matches Wikidata
    Articles containing Japanese-language text
    Commons category link from Wikidata
     



    This page was last edited on 25 June 2022, at 09:39 (UTC).

    Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 4.0; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization.



    Privacy policy

    About Wikipedia

    Disclaimers

    Contact Wikipedia

    Code of Conduct

    Developers

    Statistics

    Cookie statement

    Mobile view



    Wikimedia Foundation
    Powered by MediaWiki