The 201st Tactical Fighter Squadron () is a squadron of the 2nd Air Wing of the

Japan Air Self-Defense Force The , , also informally referred to as the Japanese Air Force, is the air and space branch of the Japan Self-Defense Forces, responsible for the defense of Japanese airspace, other air and space operations, cyberwarfare and electronic warfa ...

(JASDF) based at

Chitose Air Base , is a Japan Air Self-Defense Force base located in Chitose, Hokkaidō, adjacent to New Chitose Airport. It is the JASDF's primary base in northern Japan and tasked with monitoring Japan's maritime borders with Russia. It was also Hokkaidō' ...

, in

Hokkaido Prefecture is Japan, Japan's Japanese archipelago, second largest island and comprises the largest and northernmost Prefectures of Japan, prefecture, making up its own List of regions of Japan, region. The Tsugaru Strait separates Hokkaidō from Honshu; th ...

, Japan. It is equipped with Mitsubishi F-15J/DJ and Kawasaki T-4 aircraft. Thompson, Pau
JASDF – Order of Battle July 1, 2017
''J-HangarSpace'' Retrieved September 21, 2017 Thompson, Pau
JASDF – Squadron Histories
''J-HangarSpace'' Retrieved September 21, 2017

History

The squadron was formed at Chitose Air Base at Hokkaido in March 1963 as part of the 2nd Air Wing. Initially the squadron was responsible for training and interception duties, but later it focused exclusively on interception. The squadron was disbanded in 1974, when it was replaced by the 302nd Tactical Fighter Squadron equipped with the McDonnell Douglas F-4EJ. Until the 1980s JASDF fighter squadron numbers were linked to the type of aircraft they operated. The 200-series squadrons were F-104 squadrons and the 300-squadrons were F-4EJ squadrons. With the intensification of the Cold War in the 1980s the squadron was re-formed and equipped with F-15s.

Tail markings

During the squadron's F-104 era the tail marking was a "201". After the squadron was re-formed with the F-15 the tail marking became a

brown bear The brown bear (''Ursus arctos'') is a large bear species found across Eurasia and North America. In North America, the populations of brown bears are called grizzly bears, while the subspecies that inhabits the Kodiak Islands of Alaska is ...

. Brown bears are common in Hokkaido.

Aircraft operated

Fighter aircraft

* Lockheed F-104J/DJ Starfighter (1963–1974) *

Mitsubishi F-15J The Mitsubishi F-15J/DJ Eagle is a twin-engine, all-weather air superiority fighter based on the McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle in use by the Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF). The F-15J was produced under license by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries ...

(1986–present)

Liaison aircraft

* Lockheed T-33A (1963–1974) (1986–1994) * Kawasaki T-4 (1992–present)

In popular culture

The squadron appeared in the 1990 film '' Best Guy''.

References

{{Japan Air Self-Defense Force Units of the Japan Air Self-Defense Force