Take A Look At This Japanese F-15J in ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ Color Scheme

September 2, 2022 Military Aviation
David Cenciotti
F-15J Top Gun Maverick
The JASDF F-15J "Top Gun: Maverick" (Image credit: @monimoni1002)

An almost perfect replica of Maverick’s jet. But it’s not an F/A-18E Super Hornet.

The first photographs of an F-15J of Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF) painted like the hero jet of “Top Gun: Maverick” have started doing the rounds on Twitter in the afternoon (European Time) on Sept. 2, 2022. The shots show the airframe 52-8951, belonging to the 306th Hikotai (Tactical Fighter Squadron), based at Komatsu Air Base, in Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan, rolling out in the new eye-catching color scheme made famous by Tom Cruise’s latest blockbuster movie.

As you can see, besides the obvious different type of aircraft, the Japanese F-15J features the 306th Hikotai logo on the tail (instead of the Top Gun emblem). All the rest, including Capt. Pete “Maverick” Mitchell’s name on the cockpit rail and the three “MiG-28” kill markings, is the same as on three F/A-18E/F aircraft used in the action movie.

Interestingly, the “new” F-15J sports an unidentified badge on the left air intake. The images from distance don’t allow for an identification of all the symbols in the badge besides the “Top Gun: Maverick” logo.

The aircraft should start flying in the new colors next week and its scheduled to be among the highlights of Komatsu Air Festival 2022 on Sept. 19, 2022.

Komatsu Air Base is the homebase of the 303rd and 306th Squadron’s F-15J/DJ fighters; the Hiko Kyodogun (Aggressor Group), also operating a mix of single seat Mitsubishi F-15J and two-seat F-15DJ Eagle jets, along with some Kawasaki T-4 trainers; and the Komatsu Rescue Corps’ UH-60J helicopter and U-125A.

The Japanase F-15J/DJ aircraft wear some pretty interesting color schemes. In particular, most of the Japanese Aggressors sport colored and pretty unique camouflage schemes that, unlike the famous U.S. aggressors, are not based on the liveries worn by combat aircraft operated by potential enemy nations.

About David Cenciotti
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David Cenciotti is a journalist based in Rome, Italy. He is the Founder and Editor of “The Aviationist”, one of the world’s most famous and read military aviation blogs. Since 1996, he has written for major worldwide magazines, including Air Forces Monthly, Combat Aircraft, and many others, covering aviation, defense, war, industry, intelligence, crime and cyberwar. He has reported from the U.S., Europe, Australia and Syria, and flown several combat planes with different air forces. He is a former 2nd Lt. of the Italian Air Force, a private pilot and a graduate in Computer Engineering. He has written five books and contributed to many more ones.

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