Twenty-six-year-old First Lieutenant Misa Matsushima has been appointed as the first ever female fighter pilot in Japan in a ceremony on Friday,…
Twenty-six-year-old First Lieutenant Misa Matsushima has been appointed as the first ever female fighter pilot in Japan in a ceremony on Friday, after she completed her training earlier in the week. This is just the latest in Japan’s push for more gender equality in the workplace across the country.
Matsushima joined the Japan Air Self Defense Force in 2014 after she graduated from National Defense Academy. She is one of just 13,707 servicewomen in the country. Women make up just 6.1 percent of Japanese troops.
According to CNN, Matsushima made this her goal when she was just a child.
Matsushima first went through training for her pilot’s license, which she was granted in 2015. After that, she immediately enrolled in fighter pilot training. Following her appointment, the Yokohama native will be stationed at the Nyutabaru Air Base.
『航空自衛隊初の女性戦闘機操縦者が誕生』
２等空尉 松島美紗は、８月２４日付で航空自衛隊初の女性戦闘機操縦者となります。航空自衛隊は、操縦職域を含むすべての職域を女性に開放しています。 #航空自衛隊 #空自 #JASDF #女性戦闘機操縦者 pic.twitter.com/xeHuC2lJw3
— 防衛省 航空自衛隊 (@JASDF_PAO) August 23,2018
The F-15J fighter jets that Matsushima will be flying are intended for air-to-air combat, and and can carry up to eight radar and infrared missiles.
