| Summary: | 碩士 === 淡江大學 === 國際事務與戰略研究所碩士班 === 103 === Theories of Airpower had been developed actively after the World War I and were practiced during the World War II when their validities were largely proved. This thesis will use the theory of Airpower to examine the characters of Japan Air Self Defense Force (JASDF)’s force building and it doctrine.
After the WWII, Japan adopted pacifism and was excessively self-restraint on military issues. As the consequence of the Cold War structure, the U.S. allowed Japan’s limited rearmament. Japan started to rebuild its armed forces, which became the Ground, Maritime, and Air Self Defense Force in 1954. The establishment of an independent JASDF is a significant departure in defense policy from the practice in the past.
The JASDF built up its force according to the missions and force size set by the defense guidance document of Japanese government. The emphases and the priorities of JASDF’s missions varied in different period of time. Although experienced a long time of wanting an authoritative official document with title of doctrine, the JASDF still has a doctrinal system which is comprised of numbers of manuals and non-official materials.
Being restrained by the Constitution and exclusively defense-oriented military strategy, the JASDF put a great emphasis on air defense missions, missions against ground and surface targets were relatively neglected. This practice obviously does not match the theories of Airpower. The doctrine of JASDF is largely unknown from outside. However, the known parts of it do not coincide with the theories of Airpower.
The trend of international system, U.S.-Japan Alliance, and Japan defense needs drove various degree of pressure to the force building of JASDF. Japan unique defense needs remain the most significant one even the importance of other factors rise with time.
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