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| Blue Impulse 11 Squadron 4th Air Wing | |
|---|---|
 Blue Impulse insignia | |
| Active | April 12, 1960 – present |
| Country |  Japan |
| Branch | Japan Air Self-Defense Force |
| Type | Aerobatics |
| Role | Aerobatic maneuver |
| Garrison/HQ | Matsushima Air Base |
| Motto(s) | Challenge for the Creation. |
| Colors | Blue White |
| Aircraft flown | |
| Trainer | 9Kawasaki T-4s |
Blue Impulse (ブルーインパルス,Burū Inparusu) (currently11 Squadron 4th Air Wing, previously21 Squadron 4th Air Wing) is theaerobatic demonstration team of theJapan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF). The team was founded in 1960 as a team of sixF-86 Sabres. They changed mounts to theMitsubishi T-2 in 1980 and then to theKawasaki T-4 in 1995. They are based atMatsushima Air Base, which was heavily damaged by the2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami.
The first unofficial Japanese aerobatic team was formed in 1958 atHamamatsu Air Base, flyingMitsubishi-builtNorth American F-86F Sabres without a special colour scheme, disbanded after four demonstrations.
In 1959 theUSAF Thunderbirds visited Japan and inspired JASDF commanders to establish an official aerobatic team. In 1960 the new team was formed at Hamamatsu airbase flying five F-86Fs of2nd Squadron, with three of the pilots coming from the 1958 team.
The first demonstration of the "Tenryū" team, (named after theTenryū River near the air base), was on 4 March 1960 at Hamamatsu, the name was found to be hard to pronounce in western languages, so the team was renamed Blue Impulse. The aircraft were equipped with smoke generators using five different colours for each aircraft: white, red, blue, green and yellow and painted in silver, light blue, blue and pink; on the leader's aircraft, the blue is replaced by gold. Later, in 1961, all five aircraft received a special paint scheme of overall white with blue flashes.
In 1964, Blue Impulse performed at the opening of the1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, drawing the Olympic rings in the air with coloured smoke. In 1970, at the opening ofExpo '70 in Osaka, the team drew "Expo '70" in the air.
In February 1982, after 545 air demonstrations, Blue Impulse replaced the Sabres withMitsubishi T-2 trainers, performing their first show with the new aircraft was on 25 June 1982 at the team's new Matsushima airbase.
AtExpo '90 in Osaka, Blue Impulse performed at the opening event and drew the "Expo '90" logo in the air.
The team's last performance with the Mitsubishi T-2 was in December 1995, after 175 demonstrations with these aircraft. The new Blue Impulse aircraft became the Japanese-built Kawasaki T-4 trainer, and the first show with these aircraft was on 5 April 1996.
In 1997, the team made their first foreign debut at theNellis Air Force Base air show inNevada, USA.
In 1998 Blue Impulse performed at theWinter Olympics in Nagano, Japan.
Blue Impulse also performed at the2002 FIFA World Cup; on 4 June 2002, they performed at the opening of the Japan versus Belgium match.
On March 11, 2011, Matsushima Air Base, where Blue Impulse had been based, sustained heavy damage from the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami. Because on the day before, the aircraft and crew had travelled toAshiya Air Base inFukuoka to perform at the opening ceremony of theKyushu Shinkansen, the team escaped damage from the disaster. While the crew continued to be based in Matsushima to aid in recovery efforts, they were required to travel to other bases for flight training while Matsushima underwent repairs.
On March 30, 2013, the Blue Impulse fully returned to Matsushima Air Base following the completion of repairs and anti-tsunami measures.
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| Aircraft | Origin | In Service[a] | Service[b] | reference column |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| North American F-86F Sabre | United States | 34 | 1960–1981 | JASDF Technical Research Section. 5 aircraft formation. |
| Mitsubishi T-2 | Japan | 11 | 1982–1995 | 4 AW21 Sq. Technical Research Section. 6 aircraft formation. |
| Kawasaki T-4 | Japan | 11 | 1995–present | 4 AW 11 Sq. 6 aircraft formation. |
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