New missiles eyed for ASDF F-2 fighters

The Yomiuri Shimbun ^ | July 19, 2017

[sukhoi-30mki]

The government plans to equip the Air Self-Defense Force’s F-2 fighters with a new air-to-ship missile from next fiscal year, The Yomiuri Shimbun has learned.

It will allocate several hundred millions of yen in a budgetary request for fiscal 2018 to mass produce the missile, which is currently under development, according to sources.

The new missile will be the first supersonic air-to-ship type to be made in the country. It is characterized as being difficult to intercept, the sources said.

The introduction of the new missile is aimed at keeping the Chinese Navy — which has been taking high-handed action in the East China Sea and other places — in check.

The domestically built type 80 and type 93 air-to-ship missiles can both reach near-supersonic speeds. The new air-to-ship missile will travel significantly faster, with a speed of around Mach 3 — about three times faster than the type 93 and on par with the most advanced missiles of the same variety overseas.

The time required to hit a target would be significantly reduced with the new air-to-ship missile, which can fly at a low altitude close to the water surface to easily evade radar detection.

These attributes make it difficult for enemy ships to intercept the missile. Additionally, the missile will have a longer range than the type 93, which travels less than 200 kilometers.

The Defense Ministry will test-fire the new air-to-ship missile against a retired destroyer. If it proves to have high performance, the ministry will gradually equip F-2 fighters deployed to units in western Japan with the missile.

The F-2 fighter, developed jointly by Japan and the United States, is known for its high capability to attack ships. The fighter was deployed from 2000, and the ASDF has now introduced about 90 units.

The aircraft is scheduled to be used as the ASDF’s main fighter aircraft until around the 2030s. If the aircraft is equipped with the new missile, its attack capability is expected to be boosted.

The ministry is hastening efforts to improve the performance of its defense equipment to counter China, which is building up its maritime capacity.

In September 2012, China commissioned its first aircraft carrier, Liaoning, by rebuilding a vessel bought from Ukraine.

In April this year, the country’s first domestically built aircraft carrier was released into open waters.

China is believed to be developing its equipment to protect its aircraft carriers from antiship missiles and other attacks.

The Japanese government is also considering equipping the F-35 — the world’s most advanced stealth fighter, scheduled to be deployed to the ASDF from the end of this fiscal year — with the highly advanced Joint Strike Missile, an air-to-surface and air-to-ship missile currently being developed mainly by Norway.

[sukhoi-30mki]

[Mariner]

Since 1941 control of the seas depends on control of the air above them.

[Army Air Corps]

Ping.

[Army Air Corps]

Ping.

[Oatka]

The time required to hit a target would be significantly reduced with the new air-to-ship missile, which can fly at a low altitude close to the water surface to easily evade radar detection.

I remember during the Falklands War where the "Argies" used a two-plane combo to attack the British ships. The ones loaded with Exocet air-to-ship missles stayed low, under the radar whicle the other was used as a periscope - momentarily popping up to altitude to get a radar bearing on the target and relaying the course corrections to the guy below.

Evidently the Brit radar guys saw a blip for only one sweep - and then it was gone. The only time they knew the "Argies" were close was when the missiles hit.

The Brits lost at least two to the missiles:

[Oztrich Boy]

THe upper ship is HMS Antelope, which was sunk by a 1000lb dumb bomb.

The missile lost was the container ship Atlantic Conveyor

[doorgunner69]

Only a matter of time once the Japanese get serious.

[Oatka]

THe upper ship is HMS Antelope, which was sunk by a 1000lb dumb bomb.
The missile lost was the container ship Atlantic Conveyor

Thanks. I thought more than two of the six ships sunk were by missiles, but only HMS Sheffield (guided missile destroyer) and Conveyor were. Warhead was about 350 lbs.

HMS Sheffield Hit by Exocet Missile at 1:40 (surprised they had vids of that).

HMS Antelope was a hard luck ship. The Argies had problems with dumb bombs not exploding, lucky for the Brits. From historylists.org: "A 1000 pound bomb crashed through Antelopes’ starboard side but didn’t explode. More Skyhawks attacked, another bomb penetrated the ship’s side, again, not exploding. Then one of the Skyhawks was hit by gunfire from Antelope and crashed into the ship’s mast. The ship then sailed to sheltered waters and while defusing the bombs, one of them exploded. The crew were ordered to abandon the ship and just minutes later, the missile magazines exploded. The next day the ship broke in two and sank."

[sidebar] During the Iran–Iraq War, an Iraqi jet fired Exocet missiles at the USS Stark (frigate). 37 killed, 21 wounded.]

I always wonder about Stalin's quantity-quality statement in that some enemy might swarm our ships with these types of missiles that have heavier payloads, etc. The etc being an off-the-wall thought of using poison gas which would be a helluva mess (being sucked through the ships ventilators).