Posted on 04/22/2018 4:41:27 AM PDT by BenLurkin
The decision on whether to release parts of the highly classified aircraft designs and software to help Japan stay ahead of Chinese advances will test President Donald Trump’s promise to overhaul his country’s arms export policy.
The proposed aircraft “would combine the F-22 and F-35 and could be superior to both of them,” said one of the sources.
Japan, which is already buying the radar-evading F-35 to modernize its inventory, also wants to introduce a separate air superiority fighter in the decade starting 2030 to deter intrusions into its airspace by Chinese and Russian jets.
The country’s air force currently flies the F-15J, based on the Boeing F-15; and the F-2, based on the Lockheed Martin F-16. Both designs are decades old.
Japan’s ambition to build its own stealth fighter was in part spurred by Washington’s refusal a decade ago to sell it the twin-engined F-22, which is still considered the world’s best air superiority fighter.
(Excerpt) Read more at reuters.com ...
Thank God. The F-35 is a piece of $hit money pit, that flat out doesn’t work. Read a recent report right here on fr detailing its failures. Real eye opener. I learn so much here.
I always wondered why this was not being done. Upgrade the F119 with F135 advances, use the composite materials to revamp the airframe, and integrate the F35 HMDS, Sensors and avionics. You get a fantastic airplane at minimum cost and risk.
FR is full of experts that read a report.
Link?
The F-28.5? ((22+35)/2)=28.5.
Will they nickname it the Ninja?
Tyndall AFB in Panama City, Florida, has its own private beach. Breathtakingly beautiful, pristine, and hardly any people.
There's nothing better than to lie on the sand, listen to the waves and gulls, and watch F-22s do touch and goes at the airfield. They'll fly right above you as they approach the runway.
Surprisingly quiet, too, like an A-10. Exact opposite 40 years ago when I used to watch Phantom F-4's do touch and goes.
What? What? {points to ear} I can't hear! Ruptured ear drums you know!
Is Lockheed playing us...
If Japan gets it you know our Brass is going to want it too, and then their will be The Naval Version....
I can see procurement Bureaucrats and inspectors etc riding this out to retirement, this is a another 10 year + program, and it shouldn't be, get-er-done ASAP, the P-51 was done to a flying Prototype in 100 days...
What’s an f-135..?
If they buy this new thing off the shelf then I’m fine with it but I have very very strong doubts.
we should be really cautious about this.
it sounds like what they want is some kind of joint development agreement where our taxpayer-funded companies simply get a licensing fee, while Japan gets all the experience and jobs.
What they after is a bunch of tech transfer not really defense.
I love Japan but I’m suspicious.
We should not be in the business of going out of business.
Note the indigenous fighter produced by Taiwan. Technology transfer. Hybrid F16 - F20.
Wonder if they’ll go with F-28 or F-29?
The F-22 Ninja has a nice ring to it. We could ask deep state John McCain if we can buy some.
They tried to do this in WWII. It didn’t work. Fisher P-75.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fisher_P-75_Eagle
The F22 Turkey?
The Japanese have shared the technology they used for the F-2 with the United States. The wing of the F-2 is significantly different in terms of area and the use of composites.
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