Posted on 08/22/2014 2:28:04 PM PDT by Brad from Tennessee
TOKYO -- Japan will begin test flights next year to determine whether the country has the right stuff to build a fighter jet without relying on Western contractors.
The Ministry of Defense plans to seek around 40 billion yen ($384 million) in funding for the effort for the fiscal year starting next April.
The government will decide by fiscal 2018 whether to proceed with the development of a purely Japanese fighter, according to its latest medium-term defense program.
Production of the F-2, a fighter jointly by Japan and the U.S., ended in fiscal 2011. The last of the jets are expected to be retired from the Japanese Air Self-Defense Force around fiscal 2028.
To gauge the feasibility of creating an indigenous fighter, the ministry's Technical Research & Development Institute began work on the Advanced Technology Demonstrator-X (ATD-X) four years ago. Researchers have made progress in a number of areas, including lightweight airframe designs and missile-firing mechanisms.
The ATD-X is slated for its first flight using stand-in engines next January. Testing of stealth airframe designs is to begin in April. Prototyping of the actual engines -- a joint effort by IHI, Mitsubishi Heavy and other defense contractors -- is to start as soon as fiscal 2015 and take about five years. Heat-resistant ceramics, an area in which Japan excels, will be employed for the turbine blades. . .
(Excerpt) Read more at asia.nikkei.com ...
Perhaps they’ve seen the way we’ve hung our other allies out to dry, and want nothing of it.
Ping.
I don’t blame Japan one bit.
Odds are it will be a first class job.
They could name it the “Zero” in honor of Obama.
>Odds are it will be a first class job.
Most likely they will. Get Kawasaki Heavy Industries involved and will outrun most anything.
It is a Mitsubishi!
.Perhaps they’ve seen the way we’ve hung our other allies out to dry, and want nothing of it......
My thoughts too. Name it B-O bomber in honor of his dishonor.
Hmm, was it Mitsubishi that built the Zero? Maybe they could name this one the Zero-Two, just for grins?
Will it turn into a giant robot?
When you have to depend on an Allie as unstable as the United States you might want to think about build your own military technology so it can’t by embargoed like Obama is doing with Israel.
[Odds are it will be a first class job.]
They will probably come up with some advances in the science that the U.S. defense industry can copy. It would only be fair.
[Will it turn into a giant robot?]
There’s a good possibility that any fighter going into production eight or 10 years from now could be remotely piloted or a robot.
It’s a joint operation between Japan and US...looks like an F-16!!
Bump
That was the F2, an F16 clone with a larger fuel capacity. The new fighter will be their version of the F22 since we didn’t want to sell any to our allies.
No, name it the "00" (zero-zero). As the enemy sees it coming, they'll say "Oh-oh"!
Taiwan and South Korea built indigenous fighter jets, so it should be easier for Japan. The question is how much more expensive will they be and will they have the same performance as imports?
Military aviation ping?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.