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Iruma Air Base

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Iruma Air Base

Iruma Air Base (入間基地, Iruma-kichi) (ICAO: RJTJ) is a Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF) base located in the city of Sayama, Saitama Prefecture, north of western Tokyo, Japan.

It was the airfield for the Imperial Japanese Army Air Force Academy until 1945, when it became Johnson Air Force base of the United States Air Force during and after the occupation of Japan. Johnson AB was completely returned to the Government of Japan in 1978.

Currently, Iruma Air Base is home to the Air Defense Command Headquarters Flight Group. Aircraft located at the base include the U-4, NAMC YS-11, T-4, and Kawasaki C-1. Its annual air show on the November 3rd Culture Day holiday is a popular public event.

Iruma was established in 1937 by the Imperial Japanese Army Air Force and named Irumagawa Airfield. Opened in December 1938, it was the air academy for the Japanese Army Air Force, with its academy located at the nearby town. Mostly training aircraft operated from the base, including Kawasaki Ki-10 (Army Type 95 Fighter Model 1) biplanes painted orange. During World War II, the IJAAF 14th Sentai operated Mitsubishi Ki-67 medium bombers from Irumagawa. Attacked several times by USAAF B-29 Superfortress bombers, the last missions by the IJAAF were one-way missions using Yokosuka MXY7 Ohka purpose-built, rocket-powered, human-guided, anti-shipping kamikaze attack planes against American ships operating off the coast.

After the end of the war, the United States Army Air Forces Fifth Air Force headquarters on Okinawa was moved to Japan and was established at Irumagawa on 25 September 1945. The base was renamed Johnson Air Base in honor of Lieutenant Colonel Gerald R. Johnson, the former commander of the USAAF 49th Fighter Group who was killed in a B-25 Mitchell crash while on approach to Irumagawa during a typhoon.

Johnson Air Base was a major United States Air Force base in Japan during the occupation years, then later during the Korean War and the 1950s. USAF Far East Air Force (Later Pacific Air Forces) command units based at Johnson were:

Operational USAF units based at Johnson were:

In August 1958, the JASDF Central Air Defense Force headquarters and Iruma Air Base were established at Johnson Air Base.[citation needed]

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