(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.Japanese Ministry of Defence: Atsugi NAF Squadrons Retrieved August 11, 2016 Thompson, Paul JMSDF - Order of Battle February 2016 Retrieved August 11, 2016 It operates LC-90 and Lockheed C-130R Hercules aircraft.
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.Sale gives new life to excess C-130s March 7, 2013 Retrieved February 12, 2017 In December 2014 the squadron's YS-11s were retired. The former US C-130s came into service from 2014 to 2016.
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 Douglas C-27 Skytrain RFD-6 Grumman S-2F-U Tracker Beechcraft B65 Queen Air YS-11M/M-A (1971-2014) LC-90 (1989-) Lockheed C-130R (2014-)
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