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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...

Could Japan’s F-3 program end up being built on the back of the X-2 technology demonstrator? Japanese defense ministry photo In late June, the Japanese ministry of defense made its initial request for information on next-generation jet fighters from manufacturers, kickstarting the long process of replacing the Japanese Air Self-Defense Force’s Mitsubishi F-2 multirole fighters with a new “F-3.” But as Tokyo looks to counter an increasingly sophisticated Chinese air and naval threat, none of the existing aircraft that are currently available for purchase seems likely to fit Japan’s needs. What Japan really wants is the American F-22. Legally barred...

TOKYO -- A demonstration unit of the X-2 stealth fighter made its debut Thursday, with the Japanese-built experimental aircraft promising greater maneuverability than other stealth planes. The jet will take its maiden flight the week of Feb. 15 or Feb. 22. Designer and builder Mitsubishi Heavy Industries will hand it over to the Ministry of Defense's Acquisition, Technology and Logistics Agency at the end of March. The X-2 is under development as the government

Japan Making Its F-2 Fighter Fleet More Lethal In a move destined to give Japanese defense manufacturers hope for the future, Aviation Week reported in late February that Japan plans to upgrade 60 F-2 fighters with Mitsubishi Electric Corporation’s AAM-4B missile, a $468 million deal. This enhancement is expected to dramatically improve the lethality of the F-2 when engaging enemy aircraft. A number of Japan’s Boeing F-15J fighter aircraft were equipped with AAM-4 missiles in 2007. This version of the missile featured an advanced active radar seeker and integrated data link that allowed the pilot to fire and guide the...

Japan eyes procuring F-35 fighters; gives up on more F-2 jets Monday 08th November, 07:54 AM JST TOKYO — The Defense Ministry has set its sights on procuring the F-35 fighter as Japan’s main next-generation fighter aircraft for the Air Self-Defense Force, giving up on an earlier plan to buy more F-2 fighters, ministry and Self-Defense Forces sources said Sunday. The ministry plans to seek procurement costs for the F-35 in its budget request for fiscal 2012 and is slated to begin full-fledged arrangements for the procurement plan early next year through a selection committee to prepare for the budget...

Japan's FX delay threatens gap in fighter production By Leithen Francis Japan has failed to issue a request for proposals for new fighter aircraft, leaving the country's defence manufacturing industry in limbo. The failure to issue the RFP in April, as had been widely anticipated, has also meant the FX fighter programme is now likely to miss Tokyo's 2011-12 budget and will have to wait another year. This is because there is too little time left, as budget requests are usually made in August and require both cabinet and parliamentary approval, say industry sources in Japan. The sources attribute the...

By Bradley Perrett Japan is risking a rapid loss of fighter engineering skills, an official review of the industry warns, while urging the government to avoid fully importing combat aircraft. Estimates of future engineering effort starkly illustrate an unspoken argument for Japan to buy and develop advanced versions of the Eurofighter Typhoon, Boeing F-15 or Boeing F/A-18E/F to fill its requirement for 50 fighters. “An industrial base is difficult to rebuild once experienced engineers and mechanics leave the industry, so it is essential to keep it for future fighter development,” says the Commission on Reform of Fighter Production Technology Base....

080722-N-7571S-001 ATLANTIC OCEAN (July 22, 2008) A French F-2 Rafale launches from the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) during the first integrated U.S. and French carrier qualifications aboard a U.S. aircraft carrier. The Theodore Roosevelt Carrier Strike Group is participating in Joint Task Force Exercise "Operation Brimstone" off the Atlantic coast. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Jonathan Snyder/Released) 080721-N-7241L-009 ATLANTIC OCEAN (July 21, 2008) A French Rafale M prepares to land aboard the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) during combined French and American carrier qualifications. This event marks the first...

Rafale Strike Version Enters Operation With French Air Force By Michael A. Taverna 07/02/2006 11:22:38 PM SHOWTIME The Dassault Rafale F2 strike aircraft is poised to enter the French air force inventory, augmenting Europe's force-projection capability and opening a new chapter in the battle with rival U.S. and European manufacturers for lucrative foreign military sales contracts. The first F2 squadron stood up at the St. Dizier air base in eastern France last week, in the presence of a host of dignitaries led by Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin. The high-profile event underscored not only the operational and industrial importance of...