Japan's stealth jet prototype 'to fly this year'

[Rotorhead]

[Britain] don't want, nor can they afford to purchase and maintain the Raptor, but Japan can.

They should have their 42nd F35 delivered by 2023, with their first batch of 4 only 3 years away. With the decline of the Yen against the dollar, however, the prospect of adding another 5th gen fighter isn't as likely as it was a year ago.

I really don't think the F-35 is a good choice for anybody. What's got the Saudis questioning the choice? Why are the Aussies anxious? Because they all agreed to buy F-35s, a fighter plane now plagued with technical difficulty, namely engine and thrust control issues. The F-22 is proven; the F-35 is crash-prone. I definitely feel F-22s are a good choice for the JASDF, in the short term, but as far as the long-term JASDF and JMSDF fighter, I say narrow the prototypes to maybe two really useful designs- maybe one fighter and one multi-role. Turn those two prototypes into stable aircraft (all the while flying F-22s), and once they've found they have a good 5th or, who knows, maybe 6th generation fighter, quickly phase out the F-22 (sell them to the Philippines or Saudi Arabia or someplace) and replace them with those things. Especially if you get multiple companies like Mitsubishi and Kawasaki working together to build and test and experiment, then you'll have something really great.

 

[OCguy]

I really don't think the F-35 is a good choice for anybody. What's got the Saudis questioning the choice? Why are the Aussies anxious? Because they all agreed to buy F-35s, a fighter plane now plagued with technical difficulty, namely engine and thrust control issues. The F-22 is proven; the F-35 is crash-prone. I definitely feel F-22s are a good choice for the JASDF, in the short term, but as far as the long-term JASDF and JMSDF fighter, I say narrow the prototypes to maybe two really useful designs- maybe one fighter and one multi-role. Turn those two prototypes into stable aircraft (all the while flying F-22s), and once they've found they have a good 5th or, who knows, maybe 6th generation fighter, quickly phase out the F-22 (sell them to the Philippines or Saudi Arabia or someplace) and replace them with those things. Especially if you get multiple companies like Mitsubishi and Kawasaki working together to build and test and experiment, then you'll have something really great.

I think you are making the common mistake of assuming that technical hurdles mean the plane doesn't fly. When developing ground-breaking technology, you are going to run into technical challenges. Any country attempting to develop such an advanced machine is going to run into the same issues. Just because this is a project being funded by multiple parties, and the production drama is made public, doesnt mean it is somehow an outlier. The US usually doesn't publicize information about new aircraft, which is why we have Area-51 and other black sites to test them. Russia is having issues with their 5th gen.

With recent contract wins shoring up the fly away cost, more countries will be announcing their intentions to purchase. The general consensus is that certain Gulf States will be given the opportunity to acquire the F-35 in 2022, and Lockheed was a very popular delegation at the Dubai air show.

Australia just re-affirmed their commitment, so I am not sure what you mean:

The first Australian F-35A, known as AU-1, began the “mate” process on the Lockheed Martin production line in Fort Worth, Texas, on Oct. 7 and is due to roll out July 1, 2014. During the process, the aircraft’s structure is formed as major components are joined.

The Australian government reaffirmed its commitment to acquiring 72 F-35A fighters to replace its older F/A-18A/B Hornet fleet in May and has a potential requirement for 28 more, depending on future decisions involving its Super Hornets. The initial program of record for 72 aircraft is valued at AUS $3.2 billion (US $3.08 billion), based on 2009 figures.

Australia's F-35 Buy Unaffected by US Sequestration | Defense News | defensenews.com

 

[Aepsilons]

Japan is trying to pressure us to re-open our F22 lines for them. I believe we should, and I think we will once China finally chooses which neighbor to attack, which as of now looks like Vietnam.

The time, resources, and industry required to go from a demonstrator to operational are far than Japan can tolerate.

Though as of now there are a couple demonstrators from that graphic, but the F-22 has been operational for almost a decade, and there are over 100 F-35s in existence, on the way to 2000+.

We have requested the sale of F-22, but that request was prevented by a Congressional order. Thus, it served as pretext for the Japanese Ministry of Defense , with approval of the Japanese Diet, to go forward with our own Stealth Program. And as already reiterated in this thread, has been forwarded to Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. I might also add that MHI (Mitsubishi Heavy Industries) is the same that successfully completed the Japanese version of the F-16, the Mitsubishi F2 Fighter.

 

[Superboy]

I don't think the US would approve of Japan making its own 5th generation jets. Look what the Americans did to Canada's CF-105 Arrow? They killed it.

 

[cnleio]

ATD-X leaked pic

 

[BuddhaPalm]

LOL it looks like a Mig-17

 

[UKBengali]

We have requested the sale of F-22, but that request was prevented by a Congressional order. Thus, it served as pretext for the Japanese Ministry of Defense , with approval of the Japanese Diet, to go forward with our own Stealth Program. And as already reiterated in this thread, has been forwarded to Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. I might also add that MHI (Mitsubishi Heavy Industries) is the same that successfully completed the Japanese version of the F-16, the Mitsubishi F2 Fighter.

I have no doubt that Japan has the required technological base to produce the airframe, missiles, radar and other electronics for a fifth-generation fighter.

What Japan cannot do is produce the required engine. The engine problem will handicap Japanese independence with respect to building its own fighters.

 

[cnleio]

LOL it looks like a Mig-17

As far as i know, it would be a test prototype without internal weapons bay, the length == JF-17.
1st prototype for Japan ADT-X flight test.

 

[KAL-EL]

Japan is trying to pressure us to re-open our F22 lines for them. I believe we should, and I think we will once China finally chooses which neighbor to attack, which as of now looks like Vietnam..

Are they really pressuring? I haven't seen any such reports. Regardless though, I think F-22 production was stopped way to prematurely. A least 100 more should have been made imho. Of course the US (always moving forward) is working on a 6th gen plane, but who knows when that will actually start production.

 

[cnleio]

ATD-X 高级技术验证机

 

[BuddhaPalm]

Looks like a cartoon LO fighter (not VLO fighter) for children. Not in the big leagues like China. Not by far.

 

[pakdefender]

America more than anyone else will try to stop Japan from making an aircraft like this

Some people might know , that Long before any one else in 1980 , Japan had made the TRON real time operating system , under pressure from America the work on TRON had to be stopped

Though ITRON is still used as the operating system of many digital electronic systems in Japan

 

[Zhukov]

Goodluck Japan. Another step down for US Air superiority.
And hegamony on 5th gen fighters. Japanese are damn good at Tech. I exoect Best of 5th gen tech from ATDX compared to OAKFA and K20.
I hope chinese are taking this developement into consideration and preparing a fitting response to this

 

[OCguy]

Are they really pressuring? I haven't seen any such reports. Regardless though, I think F-22 production was stopped way to prematurely. A least 100 more should have been made imho. Of course the US (always moving forward) is working on a 6th gen plane, but who knows when that will actually start production.

Absolutely. It was a perfect storm of an economic recession, and relative peace amongst the world powers. This lulled short-sighted US politicians into a harmful complacency, and "a plane with no adversary" became the mantra of the day.

Now suddenly China and Russia are longing for "respect" by "reclaiming" territory, and our allies are nervous. A true twin-engine air superiority fighter is an easy sell.

Pressure may have been too strong of a word. "Posturing" may be more appropriate, which I believe applies to Canada's sudden hesitancy towards a single-engine fighter as well.

Goodluck Japan. Another step down for US Air superiority.
And hegamony on 5th gen fighters. Japanese are damn good at Tech. I exoect Best of 5th gen tech from ATDX compared to OAKFA and K20.
I hope chinese are taking this developement into consideration and preparing a fitting response to this

If theoretical and prototype weapons systems are taken into consideration, then I agree.

 

[mike2000]

well, well, well. its good Japan is trying to develop its own stealth Fighter jet. I dont understand why the U.S refused to sell F22 to Japan.
However, I think the U.S will find a way to slow down/kill this program before its takes off seriously/start real production. The U.S simply has too much to loose if Japan starts actingtoo independently/reduce its reliance on the U.S. So it will be difficult for the U.S to allow it to go on undisturbed. The U.S already covers Japan security anyway, so i dont see why Japan should be that worried of any invasion. Since the U.S has a mutual defence treaty with Japan. and Japan also has a credible/advance/capable Navy, which is among the best in the world.So even if the U.S prevents/slows down Japan from developing a stealth fighter, i dont think it will be of much difference, since it wont change much, as the U.S already provides Japan with a credible security cover from any potential attack.