2018.07.27
F-2 successor demands development led by Japan, polish related technology*
Ask Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Masaharu Morita, Director of the Aircraft and Superintendent Business Division
Masashi Morita of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Defense and Space segment Masashi Morita Director of the aircraft and superstructure division recently responded to WING's interview by taking into consideration for the successor of the F-2 defensive aircraft division and a new project to progress Explaining the latest situation of the department, "F-2 successor strongly demands development led by Japan, said that he is honing the future fighter technology for that." The reporter also received explanation in the simulation facility (simulation laboratory) about future fighter technology which supports "development led by Japan."
"Japan-led development" which allows renovation and improvement to be carried out freely
Government public F-2 experienced technician before the retirement age
"How F-2 successor should be and fighter technology research prototype"
Regarding the idea of the successor to the F-2, when the direction of discussion is often talked about, the manager of the Moriwada department will exasperate if it is distracting. "We believe that it is most desirable to defend the F-2 successor as" Japan-led development "for defense of Japan as well as to maintain defense technology and production infrastructure." Recent fighter planes tend to be operated over the long term of 30 years, 40 years, while repairing and improving are repeated. "Since it is unlikely to continue to use the same form as it is, securing the subjective extensibility is considered to be very important," Morita business director points out. Among the fighters of the Air Self Defense Force, F-2 is based on F-16, but since Japan is an aircraft that led the rebuilt development by applying voluntary technology, it is necessary to carry out renovation to equip new avionics, missiles, Improvements have been made many times, and this continues today. F-15 was acquired by licensed production, and under the constraints of partial technical disclosure, it has been operated while refurbishing such as installing domestic missiles. However, as the trend in recent years tends to further limit the scope of technical disclosure, concerned persons point out that fears that refurbishment can not be done in the same way as before.
In this way, "If we are not under the leadership of our country, improvement can not be made at the necessary time, which may hinder the operation," Japan-led development "is extremely important Mitsubishi Heavy Industries' idea is that it is important, it is a major premise."
Many of the experienced developers of F-2 fighter aircraft developed under "Japan's lead" celebrated the retirement age, and even the officials, technical, technical executives and test pilots involved in development have become less. From the meaning of technology transfer also comes the time to start development of the successor to the F-2 led by Japan. Morita business department manager says, "I feel a sense of crisis that if the development start date is delayed, I might lose fighter development capabilities."
Research prototype of Advanced Technology Demonstration Machine X-2 and conducting the flight test may have led to a slight delay in technology discontinuation in specific fields. However, Morita business department director said, "Some companies do not participate in X-2, and since they do not have radar and other mission equipment, it is not that all the experience of integration as fighter aircraft could be inherited It points out its limit. "By all means, we are expecting that Japan-led development will start promptly in the next term's medium-term prevention."
In recent years, accessories are becoming open architectural so that refurbishment and improvement are easy to do, but if you do not have a core part, all required refurbishment will depend on foreign countries all.
Well, as for "Japan's leadership", there is a debate as to whether Japan's fighter aircraft technology can only choose options of development, but the results that have been studied so far since last year I am showing shape as a pretrial trial.
Mori's manager general enumerated its main achievements.
▼ Sensor technology capable of detecting stealth aircraft = data integration of radar and infrared sensor
▼ Lightweight body structure technology by adhesion without using bolts
▼ Weapon interior installation technology
▼ Motorization Technology of Actuator
▼
Integrated Fire Control Technique = "Cloud shooting" to change the way of fighting. Missile guidance by network
Details are summarized in separate articles.
Mr. Moriwa, director of Mori's business division, has been working on a comprehensive evaluation of these research results as "a virtual vehicle, as he can change the point of view parametrically, based on the results of examination by the officials such as the evaluation pilot, I've heard that you are evaluating while changing parameters variously," he said.
State of simulation laboratory (provided: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries)
* This article is machine-translated from a source written in Nihongo.