Air Transport Squadron 61 (JMSDF)

Air Transport Squadron 61 (第61航空隊, dairokujuuichikoukuutai) (also referred to as VC-61 or Fleet Air Squadron 61) is a unit in the Japanese Maritime Self-Defence Force. It is a part of the Fleet Air Force and is based at Naval Air Facility Atsugi in Kanagawa prefecture.[1][2] It operates LC-90 and Lockheed C-130R Hercules aircraft.

Air Transport Squadron 61
第61航空隊
Active20 December 1971
Country Japan
Branch Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force
Part ofFleet Air Force
Garrison/HQNaval Air Facility Atsugi
Aircraft flown
TransportLC-90, C-130R

History

The squadron was founded at Atsugi Naval Air Facility on December 20, 1971 equipped with NAMC YS-11 aircraft. In 1989 it began to operate the LC-90, and in November 2014 the unit began to operate five former Lockheed Martin KC-130R tanker aircraft of the US Marine Corps. They were stripped of their refueling equipment and redesigned as C-130R aircraft.[3] In December 2014 the squadron's YS-11s were retired. The former US C-130s came into service from 2014 to 2016.[4]

In the past the squadron has also operated Grumman S-2F-U Tracker, Douglas C-27 Skytrain RFD-6 and Beechcraft B65 Queen Air aircraft.

Aircraft used
gollark: Not wanting it doesn't, though.
gollark: Just stop wanting that.
gollark: I'm mostly procrastinating.
gollark: Look, if I had to know about things before talking about them, then no.
gollark: And it *is* an adjective since you're not using the noun, oh bee.

References
  1. Japanese Ministry of Defence: Atsugi NAF Squadrons Retrieved August 11, 2016 (in Japanese)
  2. Thompson, Paul JMSDF - Order of Battle February 2016 Retrieved August 11, 2016
  3. Sale gives new life to excess C-130s March 7, 2013 Archived March 14, 2013, at the Wayback Machine Retrieved February 12, 2017
  4. "Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force C-130s". Retrieved November 9, 2017.
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