JASDF officer flies joint mission with 961st AACS

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Kenya Shiloh
  • 18th Wing Public Affairs
KADENA AIR BASE, Japan --  A Japan Air Self Defense Force captain made history Feb. 18 as he became the first-ever JASDF officer to fly as an active crewmember with Kadena's 961st Airborne Air Control Squadron aboard an E-3 Sentry Airborne Warning and Control System aircraft.

Capt. Daisuke Hirose, 602nd Airborne Air Control Squadron, Hamamatsu Air Base, Tokyo, served as the safety officer on board the E-3 during a mission in support of Exercise Cope North. Capt Hirose was also present to help execute coordination with JASDF pilots in the event of an emergency.

"I make sure the objectives of both countries are met in this exercise," Captain Hirose said. "We also want to promote mutual trust and establish a better working relationship."

According Maj. David Villa, 961st AACS assistant director of operations, the 961st was asked to provide command and control for airborne aircraft for one period of Cope North, a task normally assigned to the JASDF E-2C Hawkeye Aircraft. While Capt Hirose's participation in the mission was a significant milestone, it is simply a reflection of the continuous cooperation between the JASDF and the U.S. Air Force.

"One unique thing about my unit is that we have continuity, unlike other flying units," Captain Hirose said. "While the other units constantly change personnel, mine is the only JASDF AWACS unit in Japan, so maintaining a close working relationship with our U.S. counterpart comes easy."

A 2008 agreement between the 961st AACS and the 602nd AACS outlines several areas of cooperation between the two squadrons. They include data link training between the E-3 Sentry and the JASDF E-767, exchange rides that help aircrews familiarize themselves with the other's aircraft and mutual visits to discuss ideas and lessons learned from previous missions.

Although Captain Hirose is no stranger to working with his U.S. counterparts, he said he was honored to fly with them and learn the similarities and differences between the two aircraft, including their control systems and aircrew procedures. The captain said he will take that information back to his home station, share it with his unit and apply it to future training events such as exercise Red Flag-Alaska.

Captain Hirose said he hopes this experience will open the door to more joint training missions with the 961st AACS in the future.

Cope North is a Pacific Air Forces-sponsored exercise designed to coordinate air tactics, techniques and procedures of JASDF and U.S. forces for the purpose of strengthening the bilateral alliance between the two countries.