The Japan Air Self-Defense Force’s (JASDF) new electronic warfare (EW) aircraft conducted its first two test flights, a significant step in countering threats from the Chinese Communist Party, North Korea and Russia. Capabilities of the developmental EC-2 include jamming technology, satellite communications and electronic countermeasures designed to disrupt and neutralize enemy radar and communications systems on the ground and in the air.
The EC-2 will replace the JASDF’s EC-1 aircraft, which retired in 2025. “We’ll continue working toward its introduction to improve capabilities in the electromagnetic domain, and to strengthen the cross-domain operations capabilities,” the JASDF said in a news release.
The plane is being evaluated at Gifu Air Base, home of the JASDF’s Air Development and Test Command, where it initiated the two test flights in March 2026, according to the website Asian Military Review.
Engineers have been developing the EC-2 since 2021. It is scheduled to begin operations in March 2027 and will be assigned to the JASDF’s Electronic Warfare Operations Group at Iruma Air Base.
The EC-2 was converted from a Kawasaki C-2 tactical cargo hauler the JASDF chose because of its payload capacity and flight performance. The C-2 has a significantly higher payload capacity of nearly 36 metric tons. Its predecessor, the C-1, has a payload capacity of about 12 metric tons. The EC-2 features a bulbous nose and two large fairings positioned on the forward and aft sections of the upper fuselage, with an additional fairing mounted each side of the rear fuselage, to accommodate specialized equipment.
Kawasaki Heavy Industries has built 18 C-2 aircraft for the JASDF, Defense News reported. Engineers converted another C-2 to an RC-2 electronic intelligence platform in 2020. In addition, one of the planes was tested with the United States’ Rapid Dragon palletized weapons module, which would allow long-range cruise missiles to be launched from the rear of the aircraft. The Japan Ministry of Defense has not announced how many additional planes they will convert, but reports indicate the JASDF could buy up to four, according to Asian Military Review.
The planes are part of Tokyo’s increased defense spending after Japan’s Cabinet approved a record defense budget of more than $58 billion for 2026. The budget includes funding for counter-EW systems and fighter aircraft with EW capabilities.
“Due to the expansion of the range of the use and application of electromagnetic waves in its range and purpose covering land, sea, air, outer space and cyber space, the electromagnetic spectrum has become the front line of offense and defense in modern combat,” Japan’s Ministry of Defense said in the budget document. “In light of this situation, securing superiority in the domain of electromagnetic spectrum is an urgent issue.”