report by: Ian Moy
On the first of march 2019 was held in JASDF Komaki, The Komaki Airshow. Nagoya Airfield , also known as Komaki Airport or Nagoya Airport, is an airport which lies within the local government areas of Toyoyama, Komaki, Kasugai and Nagoya in Aichi Prefecture, Japan. The Japan Self-Defense Forces shares the runway as a part of Japan Air Self-Defence Force Komaki Base. Nagoya Airport was first opened in 1944 as a military airport named Kamake Airfield. It was primarily used as the home base of the 55th Sentai of the Imperial Japanese Army Air Service. After the end of World War II, the airfield was taken over by the American occupation forces and renamed Nagoya Air Base. Reconstruction of the heavily damaged airfield began and in May 1946, Nagoya became the Headquarters of the Fifth Air Force, which controlled Air Force occupation units throughout Japan. The 1st Tactical Airlift Group formed at Komaki on March 31, 1978
In 2009 the first dedicated air-to-air refueling squadron of the Japan Air Self-Defense Force was formed at Komaki. The 401st Tactical Airlift Squadron is a squadron of the 1st Tactical Airlift Group of the Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF) based at Komaki Air Base in Aichi Prefecture, Japan. It is equipped with Lockheed C-130H Hercules and Lockheed KC-130H Hercules aircraft. The C-130H has a greater range than its predecessor the Kawasaki C-1, and since the 1980s Japan’s posture has gradually become more outward-looking and the Self-Defense Forces have become more involved in activities beyond Japan’s shores. These have included humanitarian relief and evacuation missions, supporting US and Japanese military activities, and participation in multi-national military exercises. The 404th Tactical Airlift Tanker Squadron is a tanker squadron of the 1st Tactical Airlift Group of the Japan Air Self-Defense Force based at Komaki Air Base in Aichi Prefecture, Japan. It is equipped with four Boeing KC-767J aircraft
The Air Rescue Wing Komaki Detachment is a unit of the Air Rescue Wing of the Japan Air Self-Defense Force. It is also known as the Komaki Air Rescue Squadron. Responsible for airborne search and rescue, it is based at Komaki Air Base in Aichi Prefecture. It is equipped with UH-60J and U-125A aircraft. It is the training unit for the Air Rescue Wing
In 1988, the Japan Air Self-Defense Force choose the UH-60L to replace its KV-107 and Sikorsky S-62 helicopters. After the two first aircraft made by Sikorsky ; they were assembled by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. Mitsubishi is producing the remaining UH-60Js under license.The Japan Marine Self-Defense Force also chose Search and rescue, and utility helicopters to replace the S-61A in 1989. The UH-60J is powered by T700 engines license-built by Ishikawajima-Harima Heavy Industries in Japan.The JMSDF for their activity in SAR mission Japan uses a maritime search and rescue variant of the Hawker 800. It is designated the U-125A in Japan Air Self-Defense Force service. This variant has large observation windows, a flare and marker-buoy dispenser system, life-raft and emergency equipment dropping system and enhanced salt water corrosion prevention. The aircraft also has a Toshiba 360-degree search radar, Melco thermal imaging equipment and other military communications equipment for its mission. Globalairpower is very proud to be able to publish about this less known, but very interesting Japanese Airshow.