EXCLUSIVE Britain and Japan aim to merge Tempest and F-X fighter programmes-sources

Reuters ^ | 14-JUL-2022 | Tim Kelly, Nobuhiro Kubo, Paul Sandle and Tim Hepher

[SpeedyInTexas]

Britain and Japan are close to an agreement to merge their next-generation Tempest and F-X fighter jet programmes, with the two countries aiming for a deal on a new joint project by year-end, three sources told Reuters.

It would be the first time Japan has sought a non-U.S. partner for a large military programme and the first major collaboration between Tokyo and London, going beyond what had been expected when industrial talks began five years ago.

[SpeedyInTexas]

"The fighter will still need some U.S. components, such as for communications and data links, to ensure interoperability with U.S. forces."

[ArcadeQuarters]

[cranked]

Should be interesting.
Look forward to the concept design art.

[BBQToadRibs2]

[DesertRhino]

They should call it a “Zero” and watch the Chinese fulminate.

[Governor Dinwiddie]

With America cut out of the partnership, at least the Chinese won't see the design plans.

[central_va]

Call it the Spitzero. Or maybe the Zerofire.

[Yo-Yo]

Look forward to the concept design art.

Shouldn't take too much imagination.

Tempest on top, F-X in middle, YF-23 on bottom.

Both Tempest and F-X are "tail-less" designs, reminiscent of the YF-23.

[cranked]

Sexy!

[Spktyr]

The Chinese didn’t exactly encounter them in numbers during the war - the Zero was a naval fighter. Calling it the Hayabusa would be far more likely to piss off the Chinese:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nakajima_Ki-43_Hayabusa

[dljordan]

LOL!!!!!

[Sirius Lee]

I just LOLd.

[ETCM]

Keeping both the US and EU out of it means less control, compromise, oversight and outright interference. This could end up being the perfect fighter to compliment the F-35s that are going to be ubiquitous in the west by 2035.

[DesertRhino]

Anything that evokes WWII would work. The Oscar was good. Not long ago I wondered whatever became of Nakajima because I see Mitsubishi products on the streets.
They broke up and the main division is now “Subaru”! So those rip snorting WRX cars are today’s Hayabusas!

[Spktyr]

Actually, Suzuki took up the name - they gave it to a model that was the fastest production motorcycle in the world for about a decade and a half or so.

Part of their legacy is also owned by Nissan, too.

[familyop]

"The fighter will still need some U.S. components, such as for communications and data links, to ensure interoperability with U.S. forces."

True, or components that work like U.S. components by using the same signals. It's been done with Unix-like systems, the Internet, etc. Diversification for resilience and all that.

[DesertRhino]

I remember that Hayabusa bike. That thing was insane.

[Cen-Tejas]

..........with Marxists in the White House, a President who is illegitimate and likely to involuntarily resign between November 2022 and January 2023, and a President with half his brain working, and a Vice President with a quarter brain, and a Speaker of the House with no brain............it’s no wonder that a relatively squared away country like Japan doesn’t want to partner up with us on a major arms deal.

[Spktyr]

It’s still being made, it’s just that there’s a Kawasaki that’s faster now.