Japan Air Self Defense Force (JASDF) 302 Squadron, service’s first F-35A unit, has unveiled its new Squadron insignia which depicts the white-tailed eagle, native to northern Japan. The badge reflects the lineage of the unit which was first set up in 1974 at Chitose Air Base in Hokkaido.
According to Alert 5 website, the wings of the eagle represent 3 while the tail depicts 0 and the feet represent 2.
The unit was previously equipped with the iconic F-4EJ Kai Phantom.
302 Squadron was selected in August 2017 to be the first in the JASDF to transition to the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II stealth fighter.
The first Japanese-assembled F-35A ( #79-8705, construction number AX-05) was rolled out in Nagoya on Jun. 5, 2017.
The squadron ceased flying the F-4 in March 2019, and in the same month relocated from Hyakuri Air Base (Ibaraki Airport) in Ibaraki Prefecture to Misawa Air Base in Aomori Prefecture in northern Japan.
On Apr. 9, 2019 F-35A #79-8705 then assigned to 302 Squadron went missing over the Pacific Ocean while on a training flight 135km away from Misawa Air Base.
Photo credit: Japan Air Self Defense Force
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