Posted on 03/23/2010 9:20:22 PM PDT by ErnstStavroBlofeld
Budgetary complaints, political bickering and financial scandals kept Japan's competition for a new combat aircraft delayed for nearly three years.
But now, after seemingly endless delays, the government in Japan is poised to forge ahead with its competition for the F-X multirole fighter, Defense News reports.
The competition calls for the purchase of an estimated 40 to 50 aircraft in a bid to replenish Japan's ageing fleet of F-4EJ Kai Phantoms.
Many of Japan's F-4 Phantom fighters have been barred from flying and discontinued from production.
A request for proposals could be announced by as early as next month, Defense News reported, with delivery of the aircraft anticipated by 2015 if a decision is taken by the end of the year.
Among the top contenders to replace the country's F-4 fleet include the Eurofighter Typhoon, Boeing F/A 18E/F Super Hornet and Lockheed Martin F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.
With concerns, however, looming over budgetary constraints, the government in Tokyo may have to think twice about the U.S.-built F-35, billed by military analysts as the best candidate in the competition.
Earlier this week, U.S. administration officials told a congressional committee that the fighter jet was set to cost $95 million apiece, about double the initial estimate considered in 2001. The price hike has been linked to a string of technical problems that surface during the plane's development.
Officials in Tokyo have already voiced concern about the viability of a licensed production of 40 to 50 combat aircraft.
"The real challenge for the Japanese is to find work for the local industry without breaking the bank," an anonymous industry source told Defense News.
"Starting from scratch on an aircraft program like that is going to astronomical in costs for the tooling and everything else.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.combataircraft.com ...
If they were to design and build it from scratch themselves it might be beneficial to their economy. Just don’t accept bids from toyota.
I hear Mitsubishi has experience building military aircraft. Might be a bit dated though.
Mistubishi has built aircraft since WWII. The Mitsubishi F-1, T-2, and MU-300 jets among them.
Well I kn ew about WW II. Just wasn’t up on their more modern stuff
No worries. :-)
You should see the prototype for the Mitsubishi F-3.
I had a Mitsubishi pickup in the 80’s. Good truck but every time I drove near a boat it tried to ram it.
Did you have an overwhelming urge to have a sip of sake before each drive?
Yes. After 2 or 17 sakes I would see 2 or 3 boats. That’s why I drove 37 suicide missions and survived every one.
I bet Japanese WWII kamikaze pilot reunions were pretty empty and dull.
MAybe an F-15SJ would be just the ticket....
The Japanese need to rearm...to the teeth.
The Japanese have hopefully realized that the U.S. is no longer an ally to be counted on. Becoming a first world military power in their own right will be the only thing that keeps the chinese from seizing control of the Pacific.
Until out national insanity passes and we have managed to cobble together a respectable and sane government once more, our allies must work under the assumption that we have and will continue to betray them at every turn.
And if they truly want a deterrent against the chinese, Japan should be working hard on developing a state of the art nuclear weapon and submarine based delivery system in addition to updating their air power.
China has five year plans which fail.
Japan takes forever to plan in exquisite detail and then overdelivers.
Cheers!
I do sincerely hope so.
Someone is going to have to restrain the chinese and that someone will not be US for the foreseeable future.
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