Двадцатый век стал периодом интенсивного развития military aviation in many European countries. The reason for the emergence of the air force was the need of states for air and missile defense of economic and political centers. The development of military aviation was observed not only in Europe. The twentieth century is the time for building up the power of the Japanese Air Force, whose government also sought to protect itself, strategic and state-important objects.
In 1891, the firstflying machines. These were models using rubber motors. Over time, a larger aircraft was created, in the design of which there was a drive and a pusher propeller. But this product was not interested by the Japanese Air Force. The birth of aviation took place in 1910, after the acquisition of the Farman and Grande aircraft.
The first attempts to use Japanese combatAviation was undertaken in September 1914. At this time, the army of the Land of the Rising Sun, together with England and France, opposed the Germans stationed in China. A year before these events, the Japanese Air Force acquired for training purposes two two-seater “Newpor NG” aircraft and one three-seater “Newpore NM” of 1910. Soon, these air units began to be used for fighting. The Japanese Air Force in 1913 had four Farman planes at their disposal, which were designed for reconnaissance. Over time, they began to be used to apply air strikes on the enemy.
In 1914, German aviation launched an attack onfleet in Tsingtao. Germany at that time used one of its best aircraft, the Taub. In the course of this military campaign, Japanese Air Force planes made 86 sorties and dropped 44 bombs.
В это время японскими компаниями “Кавасаки”, Nakajima and Mitsubishi are developing the unique Yokoso flying boat. Since 1916, Japanese manufacturers have created designs of the best aviation models in Germany, France and England. This state of affairs lasted fifteen years. Since 1930, the company began producing aircraft for the Japanese Air Force. Today, the armed forces of this state are among the ten most powerful armies in the world.
By 1936, Japanese manufacturing firmsKawasaki, Nakajima and Mitsubishi designed the first aircraft. The Japanese Air Force already possessed G3M1 and Ki-21 twin-engine domestic bombers, Ki-15 reconnaissance aircraft and A5M1 fighter jets. In 1937, the conflict between Japan and China erupted again. This led to the privatization of large industrial enterprises by Japan and the restoration of state control over them.
The head of the Japanese Air Force is the headquarters. In his command is the command:
The combat structure of the Air Force is represented by combat, training, transport and special aircraft and helicopters.
For a long time the armed forces of Japanthe empires were two independent military infrastructures - the ground forces and the navy. The leadership of the former sought to have their own aviation units under command for transporting their cargo. To create such aircraft carriers in the city of Takinava at the military plant “Arsenal No. 1”, which belonged to the ground forces, the existing passenger and merchant ships were improved and reworked. They were auxiliary vehicles and were widely used for the transport of personnel and armored vehicles of the ground forces. An airfield was located on the territory of this plant, the infrastructure of which allowed testing of captured aircraft.
Before World War I, Japanese Army AviationIt had its main military unit - the air forces ground unit. It consisted of squadrons (AE). Each contained eleven airplanes. Of these, three cars belonged to the reserve. The same was one link of the aviation line (LA) and were subordinate to the headquarters. Each squadron was designed for a separate mission: conducting reconnaissance, extermination, and light bombing missions assigned to the Japanese Air Force. The equipment and weapons of reconnaissance air regiments consisted of 30 units, fighter - 45 units. Specialized air groups formed divisions that had their own airfields and garrisons. They were consolidated into the army aviation corps. The officers in the rank of not lower than the captain managed them.
In 1942 the army corps were liquidatedaviation. Only the divisions remained, which with the individual parts of the air regiments were the highest command operational-tactical structure. Before World War II, all Japanese aviation was not a separate type of troops, but was subordinated to the emperor’s fleet and army. Soon, the aviation units of the army were reorganized, as a result of which mergers, or air regiments (AA), were formed, having an operational-strategic level:
The history of the word stretches in 1944year. At this time in Japan was made reorganization of aviation. On the basis of the already existing aviation regiments, the command of Japan formed shock special units. They were suicide squadrons and in official documents were designated as “Kamikaze” air squadrons. Their task was to physically destroy the bomber units of the US Air Force B-17 and B-29. Since their work was carried out by Japanese special forces with the help of a ram, there were no weapons on the sides of their aircraft.
Для конструкции таких авиационных единиц characterized by enhanced reinforcement of the fuselage. In the entire history of the air forces of Japan, more than 160 attack aviation special units were created. Of these, 57 were formed on the basis of training aviation divisions.
In 1945, a “Katsu-go” operation was carried outprotect the islands of Japan from the air forces of the United States of America. As a result of the reorganization, all the armies were united in a single structure under the leadership of General Aviation M. Kawabe.
Among the various combat aircraftMitsubishi F-2 occupies a special place. The Japanese Air Force, for which it was designed, used this model as a training one, as well as a fighter-bomber. The aircraft is considered a follower of the previous unsuccessful version of the F-1, which was also created by the Japanese manufacturing company Mitsubishi. The disadvantages that the F-1 had were that this model was released with an insufficient range and low combat load. When designing the F-2, Japanese design engineers were influenced by the American Edgin Falcon project. Despite the fact that the created F-2 visually resembles its prototype - the American model F-16, it is considered new in Japanese production, because it has some differences:
The design of the Japanese aircraft F-2 compares favorably with the prototype for its simplicity, ease and adaptability.
Japanese Air Force in World War II usedone of its best deck torpedo bombers B6N1 (“Tenzan”). The beginning of the serial deliveries of this aircraft began in 1943. By the end of the fall, 133 aircraft were constructed. The first samples received squadrons, which included aircraft carriers: 601th, 652nd and 653rd. Since there was a real threat from the US Air Force to the island of Bougainville, the leadership of the Japanese aviation decided to transfer forty B6N1 units to Rabaul. In November, with the participation of this model, the first air battle took place, which was lost. 16 combat “Tenzans” took part in it. Of these, the Japanese Air Force lost four. The next two sorties were also unsuccessful.
In June 1944, the Japanese Air Force used deck“Tenzan” in the battle near the Mariana Islands. A total of 68 units took part. Model B6N1 in this battle served as torpedo bomber and radar leaders - they were the gunners for the shock special groups of Japanese aviation. This battle was lost by Japan and its aircraft. Of the 68 boards, only eight returned to the base.
After the battle on the Mariana Islands, the Japanese aviation leadership decided to use this model of the aircraft only from the coastal base.
Aircraft "Tenzan" in the battles forOkinawa were used as bombers and kamikaze vehicles. The aircraft B6N1 was equipped with special radars. Therefore, the Japanese Air Command, this model was assigned to the 93rd Kokutai (air group), which carried out anti-submarine patrols. Also “Tenzani” entered the kokutai 553rd. The Japanese Air Force Air Group numbered 13 vehicles that took part in the battles with the aircraft of the Soviet Union.
Despite its positive technicalparameters, the Japanese “Tenzani” had a disadvantage, which was the poor choice of engine. This slowed down the process of introducing B6N1 into mass production. As a result, the released models significantly lagged behind the enemy aircraft.
In 1975, the personnel of the Japanese Air Force consisted of45 thousand people. Combat aircraft fleet had 500 units. Of these, 60 F-4EJs, 170 F10-4Js and 250 F-86Fs belonged to fighters. For reconnaissance, RF-4E and RF-86F models (20 units) were used. The Air Force of Japan provided for the transportation of cargo and wounded 35 aircraft and 20 helicopters 150 PU Hajk-J missiles. In flight schools, there were 350 aircraft. For deployment at the disposal of the command of Japanese aviation had 15 air bases and airfields.
In 2012, the number of personnel decreased from 45,000 to 43,700. The aircraft fleet increased significantly (by 200 units).
The Japanese Air Force today contains 700 units, including:
Decrease in number of personnel withthe expansion of the aircraft combat fleet indicates the orientation of the Japanese air force not to a massive, but to a point effect. According to the new defense plan, the Air Force will not increase its self-defense forces, but will relocate its squadrons, focusing them on strategically convenient positions. One of these places is considered the island of Ryuko. The second stage in the activities of the aviation command will be the acquisition of fifth-generation fighter aircraft.
