The 203rd 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 The Kawasaki T-4 is a Japanese subsonic intermediate jet trainer aircraft developed and manufactured by the commercial conglomerate Kawasaki Heavy Industries. Its sole operator is the Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF), in part due to historic ...

aircraft. Thompson, Pau
JASDF - Order of Battle July 1, 2017
''J-HangarSpace'' Retrieved September 23, 2017 Thompson, Pau
JASDF - Squadron Histories
''J-HangarSpace'' Retrieved September 23, 2017

History

The squadron was formed at Chitose Air Base at Hokkaido in June 1964 as part of the 2nd Air Wing. It was the third of the JASDF's F-104 units to form. It took over

Quick Reaction Alert Quick Reaction Alert (QRA) is state of readiness and ''modus operandi'' of air defence maintained at all hours of the day by NATO air forces. The United States usually refers to Quick Reaction Alert as 'Airspace Control Alert'. Some non-NATO ...

duties from the

North American F-86D Sabre The North American F-86D/K/L Sabre (initially known as the YF-95 and widely known informally as the "Sabre Dog",) was an American transonic jet fighter aircraft. Developed for the United States Air Force in the late 1940s, it was an intercept ...

-equipped 103rd Squadron. On March 24th, 1984 the squadron updated from the F-104 to the F-15J/DJ.

Tail markings

The squadron's aircraft have a stylized 203 with a red line, and a bear resembling a panda.

Aircraft operated

Fighter aircraft

* Lockheed F-104J/DJ Starfighter (1964-1983) *

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 ...

(1983-present)

Liaison aircraft

* Lockheed T-33A (1964-1992) *

(1992-present)

In popular culture

The squadron appeared in the 1990 film ''

Best Guy is a 1990 Japanese action film directed by Tōru Murakawa, and produced by Toei Company in association with Mitsui & Co. and Tohokushinsha Film. The screenplay was written by Murakawa with Makoto Takada. The film stars Yūji Oda, Naomi Zaizen, ...

''.

References

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