Iruma Air Base

Iruma Air Base is a key military installation of the Japan Air Self-Defense Force located in the cities of Sayama and Iruma within Saitama Prefecture. It serves as the primary command and control hub for Japan's air defense and air support operations, housing the headquarters of both the Air Defense Command and the Air Support Command. The base has a long history dating to the Second World War and remains a vital center for flight training, logistics, and ceremonial aviation displays.

History

The origins of the facility trace back to the Imperial Japanese Army Air Service, which constructed the airfield beginning in 1938 as part of Japan's military expansion prior to the Pacific War. Initially named Irumagawa Airfield, it was used for pilot training and as a base for Kawasaki Ki-61 fighters during the conflict. Following the surrender of Japan and the Allied occupation, the site was taken over by the United States Air Force and renamed Johnson Air Base in honor of Lieutenant Colonel Gerald R. Johnson, a United States Army Air Forces ace from the Fifth Air Force. During the Korean War, it functioned as a critical logistics and maintenance hub for units like the 35th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron flying F-86 Sabres. Control was returned to Japan in 1971 as part of the Okinawa Reversion Agreement and subsequent realignments, after which it was formally integrated into the Japan Air Self-Defense Force and assumed its current role as a major command center.

Facilities

The base features a single runway designated 18/36, which is 1,350 meters long and paved with asphalt. Due to its location in a densely populated area and its primary administrative function, it has limited large-scale flight operations compared to frontline bases like Hyakuri Air Base or Misawa Air Base. Key facilities include the Air Defense Command's underground Combined Air Operations Center, extensive headquarters buildings, maintenance hangars for transport and training aircraft, and housing for personnel. It is also home to the JASDF Air Show, one of the nation's premier public aviation events, which showcases aircraft such as the Mitsubishi F-2 and the Kawasaki C-2.

Based units

The installation hosts the highest echelons of the Japan Air Self-Defense Force's operational structure. The most significant units are the headquarters of the Air Defense Command, responsible for the nation's aerial sovereignty, and the Air Support Command, which manages airlift and logistics. Other major resident units include the Airborne Early Warning Group operating the Boeing E-767 AWACS aircraft, the Air Traffic Control Service Group, and the Flight Check Squadron which ensures the safety of Japan's aviation navigation aids. The base is also the home of the Blue Impulse aerobatic team, which flies the Kawasaki T-4 and performs at national events.

Accidents and incidents

On August 31, 1971, a F-86 Sabre from the Blue Impulse team crashed during a training flight near the base, resulting in the death of the pilot. A significant incident occurred on November 6, 1995, when a Kawasaki C-1 transport aircraft experienced a landing gear failure upon landing, causing substantial damage to the airframe but no fatalities. More recently, on December 11, 2007, a Kawasaki T-4 trainer jet from the 31st Fighter Training Squadron made a wheels-up landing due to a landing gear malfunction; the pilot ejected safely, and the aircraft was severely damaged.

See also

* Japan Air Self-Defense Force * Air Defense Command (Japan) * Hyakuri Air Base * Misawa Air Base * Blue Impulse * Kawasaki C-2 * JASDF Air Show

Category:Japan Air Self-Defense Force bases Category:Saitama Prefecture Category:Buildings and structures in Saitama Prefecture