Japanese Air Force

Japan's first stealth fighter unveiled


Japan is very capable of making their own advanced fighter & engines . But it's a tech demonstrator not a real combat plane even for a tech demonstrator it's quite comprehensive.

X-2 "Shinshin"

Militarov wrote:

AlfaT8 wrote:

Militarov wrote:"The U.S. State Department has approved the sale of three unmanned drones worth $1.2 billion to Japan, the Pentagon said Friday. Lawmakers have 15 days to block the sale, although such action is rare. Once the deal has cleared that hurdle, Japan and the U.S. government can negotiate the actual sale. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency, which oversees foreign arms sales, told lawmakers the government of Japan had asked to buy three Global Hawk drones including parts and logistical support.



The drones “will significantly enhance Japan’s intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities and help ensure that Japan is able to continue to monitor and deter regional threats,” the agency said in a notice to lawmakers that was posted on its website. Japan has long been mired in a territorial dispute with China over a group of tiny, uninhabited East China Sea islands. In the South China Sea, Japan has been helping build the military capacity of friendly nations with claims to parts of the waterway.

On Friday, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe announced that he may consider a request from the Philippines for large coast guard ships to patrol the South China Sea. The prime contractor on the deal would be Northrop Grumman Corp."

Source: http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/11/20/us-japan-drones-idUSKCN0T92B120151120#6UqxdWji4UJ7502X.97

Wait, what, $1.2B for 3 drones that would mean each would cost $400m, unit cost is around $130~225m a pop, so with part and logistics the price almost doubled.

So here's the thing, weren't UCAVs presented as a cheaper alternative compared to fighters, but from what i see you could probably buy one or two squadrons of SU-35s (even F-22s, please correct me if i am wrong) with that money.

Well you know spare parts, maintenance crews training, operators training, ground stations, probably some additional diagnostic equipment and tools... it can grow alot. Also this is thing is supposed to be replacement for U-2 "Spy plane" (even tho there are quite significant issues with that replacement) so its not really UCAV since its not armed.'

It has synthetic aperture radar, thermographic camera and optical sensors, and already common navigation and communication equipment. Its basically very big surveillance unmanned aircraft (big for fact its unmanned).

In my opinion nothing is more overrated than UCAV. Simple RC models that kids used to play with them now rated as state of the art war machines.

Hannibal Barca wrote:

Militarov wrote:

AlfaT8 wrote:

Militarov wrote:"The U.S. State Department has approved the sale of three unmanned drones worth $1.2 billion to Japan, the Pentagon said Friday. Lawmakers have 15 days to block the sale, although such action is rare. Once the deal has cleared that hurdle, Japan and the U.S. government can negotiate the actual sale. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency, which oversees foreign arms sales, told lawmakers the government of Japan had asked to buy three Global Hawk drones including parts and logistical support.



The drones “will significantly enhance Japan’s intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities and help ensure that Japan is able to continue to monitor and deter regional threats,” the agency said in a notice to lawmakers that was posted on its website. Japan has long been mired in a territorial dispute with China over a group of tiny, uninhabited East China Sea islands. In the South China Sea, Japan has been helping build the military capacity of friendly nations with claims to parts of the waterway.

On Friday, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe announced that he may consider a request from the Philippines for large coast guard ships to patrol the South China Sea. The prime contractor on the deal would be Northrop Grumman Corp."

Source: http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/11/20/us-japan-drones-idUSKCN0T92B120151120#6UqxdWji4UJ7502X.97

Wait, what, $1.2B for 3 drones that would mean each would cost $400m, unit cost is around $130~225m a pop, so with part and logistics the price almost doubled.

So here's the thing, weren't UCAVs presented as a cheaper alternative compared to fighters, but from what i see you could probably buy one or two squadrons of SU-35s (even F-22s, please correct me if i am wrong) with that money.

Well you know spare parts, maintenance crews training, operators training, ground stations, probably some additional diagnostic equipment and tools... it can grow alot. Also this is thing is supposed to be replacement for U-2 "Spy plane" (even tho there are quite significant issues with that replacement) so its not really UCAV since its not armed.'

It has synthetic aperture radar, thermographic camera and optical sensors, and already common navigation and communication equipment. Its basically very big surveillance unmanned aircraft (big for fact its unmanned).

In my opinion nothing is more overrated than UCAV. Simple RC models that kids used to play with them now rated as state of the art war machines.

Well there is huge difference between drones we buy for 100$ to play around and military UAVs. Materials, electronics, sensors..engines... and they have proven themself during last 3 decades as very powerful asset.

Werewolf wrote:Drones are only useful for intel and other than that they are means of bowback weapon when you use it like americans, kill 90%++ of civilians, those civilians wanting revange are joining terrorist groups and by that they are fueling the opposition forces they are fighting. War in assymmetrical setting can only be won by assymmetrical forces.

Well Israelis used UAVs with very high rate of success. Also they can be made into various EW platforms, communication relays and there are as you know 5-6 classes of recon-intel gathering UAVs. When its about armed, strike UCAVs i find them very useful as support asset, not real strike platform, noone expects them to win war for you, but they surely can help you alot. Not to mention the fact they are alot cheaper to buy and operate than conventional aircraft and can stay alot longer up there. As everything they have drawbacks but i wouldnt dismiss them like that.

Also in future we can expect them to be used as payload transport, who knows maybe even medievac, anti submarine...

"Mitsubishi’s prototype X-2, also known as the Advanced Technology Demonstrator-X (ATD-X), serial 51-0001, appears to be close to making its first flight after video emerged of taxi trials today. Having been rolled out on July 12, 2014, the maiden flight has been a while in coming. With the F-15 being replaced by the F-22 in US Air Force service, the Raptor naturally became the preferred choice to succeed the F-15J in Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF) service too. However, a ban on export of the F-22 issued by US Congress prevented its acquisition even by America’s closest alleys. This forced Japan to initiate its own studies for a modern, ‘fifth-generation’ fighter, which could enter service as the F-3 after 2025. This was aided by experience gained with the Mitsubishi F-2 project, which has given Japanese aerospace industry the confidence to embark on such an ambitious project.

The X-2 has been undergoing ground tests since its roll-out. It features a prominent canopy with at least the option to include a second crewmember in the cockpit. The next and probably most noticeable feature is a three-dimensional thrust-vectoring capability. Similar to the system used by the Rockwell X-31, thrust is controlled via three paddles on each engine nozzle."



Source: http://www.combataircraft.net/view_article.asp?ID=9433&pubID=49&t=0&s=0&sO=both&p=1&i=10

Weird, it has three paddle TVC like the X-31. My initial praises, it has twin engines, emphasis on maneuverability, and it looks really economical which is a big plus. My criticisms, the nose and inlets look too small.

It doesn't fit that "six gen hype" the Japanese made, regardless, it'll be another interesting project to follow.

Zivo wrote:







Weird, it has three paddle TVC like the X-31. My initial praises, it has twin engines, emphasis on maneuverability, and it looks really economical which is a big plus. My criticisms, the nose and inlets look too small.

It doesn't fit that "six gen hype" the Japanese made, regardless, it'll be another interesting project to follow.

It also looks like a very early proof of concept, the plane looks way too "light".

Japan Successfully Tests Fifth Generation Stealth Jet

Japan has successfully carried out the first test of its stealth jet.

TOKYO (Sputnik) – The plane took off from Nagoya Airfield (Komaki Airport) in Aichi Prefecture at around 08:50 a.m. local time on Friday (23:50 GMT on Thursday) and landed safely at Gifu Air Field in Gifu Prefecture at 09:13 a.m. (00:13 GMT), Defense Ministry Program Manager Hirofumi Doi told Bloomberg by phone.

Japan is now the fourth nation, after the United States, Russia and China to test fly its own stealth jet.

The plane cost about $366 million to develop, according to Japan’s Defense Ministry. Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. led the developers' team.

According to Doi, the ministry will study data from the Friday test flight and decide on further developments of the fifth generation stealth fighter.

Read more: http://sputniknews.com/military/20160422/1038420111/japan-tests-fifthgen-jet.html#ixzz46XRPMdzF

What is this crap? This looks more like a jet trainer than an air superiority fighter. Joke. Even F-35 looks competent next to this.

"Kawasaki Heavy Industries has announced the successful first flight of third prototype Kawasaki C-2 (68-1203) military transport aircraft in May 17, 2016 (Tuesday).

The first flight will take off the Gifu base to 11 pm 28 minutes of May 17 (Tuesday), return to Gifu base after making a flight of three hours, was safely landed.

The Kawasaki C-2 (previously C-X) is a mid-size, twin-turbofan engine, long range, high speed military transport aircraft being developed by Kawasaki Heavy Industries (KHI) for the Japan Air Self-Defense Force(JASDF).





The C-2 has a payload capacity of 37.6 t. It is worth noting that the older C-1 can carry only 10 t and C-130 Hercules – 19 t. The C-2 has similar dimensions and payload capacity to the Airbus A400M. It will be used to transport troop, drop supplies and perform medical evacuation. It can carry about 120 troops, or 8 standard air cargo pallets or one UH-60J helicopter. It has a rear loading ramp that can open in flight. "

It actually looks very promising to me.

Source: http://defence-blog.com/news/in-japan-hosted-the-first-flight-of-third-prototype-of-kawasaki-c-2.html

Lockheed Martin and Japan roll out first F-35A for the Japan Air Self Defense Force

http://echelon-defense.com/2016/09/24/lockheed-martin-and-japan-roll-out-first-f-35a-for-the-japan-air-self-defense-force/

The new Japanese aircraft of electronic intelligence

Japanese spotters report that in early February 2018 at the Japanese Gifu air base, a prototype of the RC-2 radio-and-radio reconnaissance aircraft, created for the Air Force of Japan's self-defense, was also photographed at the Japanese airbase (also denoted C-2 ELINT) on the basis of a new Japanese medium military transport aircraft Kawasaki C-2. The prototype RC-2 was converted from the second flight prototype HS-2 (board number 18-1202, serial number 002, the first flight in January 2011) belonging to the flight-test aircraft wing of the Air Force of Japan's Self-Defense in Gifu.



https://bmpd.livejournal.com/3085588.html

Japanese supersonic anti-ship missile XASM-3-E

The XASM-3 aircraft rocket has been created since 1992 with the leading role of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Corporation and was launched by flight tests (primarily for engine development) from the Mitsubishi F-2 fighter since 2005. The full-scale development of XASM-3 has been authorized since fiscal 2010.













https://bmpd.livejournal.com/3420470.html

Japan ordered JSM cruise missiles to equip F-35A fighter jets

https://bmpd.livejournal.com/3567039.html

Modernization of fighters F-15J Self-Defense Forces of Japan

On October 29, 2019, the US Department of Defense Agency for Defense Cooperation (DSCA) sent a notice to the U.S. Congress of the upcoming sale of Japan through the US Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program at the request of the Japanese government for modernization equipment 98 Japan's Boeing F-15J Eagle Air Defense Self-Defense Forces in a new modification of the Japanese Super Interceptor (JSI). This shipment is approved by the US Department of State. The total cost of the proposed supply will be $ 4.5 billion.


Fighter Boeing F-15J Eagle (tail number 22-8931) from the 304th squadron of the 9th aviation wing of the Japanese Air Force Self-Defense Forces, 2018 (c) US Air Force


According to the notification, in particular, 103 sets of Raytheon AN / APG-82 (v) 1 airborne radars with AFAR, 116 Boeing Advanced Display Core Processor II (ADCP II) central on-board computers and 101 BAE Systems AN self-defense complex / ALQ-239 Digital Electronic Warfare System (DEWS), as well as other related equipment, including the Joint Mission Planning System (JMPS), Anti-interference GPS receivers, Selective Availability Anti-spoofing Module (SAASM) and Rockwell Collins AN / ARC- radios 210.

Modernization will be carried out by the Japanese corporation Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI), and Boeing will act as the main subcontractor.

On the bmpd side, we indicate that currently the Air Force Self-Defense Forces of Japan have 156 single F-15J fighters and 45 double F-15DJ. According to a DSCA notice, only 98 F-15J single seat aircraft are upgraded to the Japanese Super Interceptor (JSI) option.

https://bmpd.livejournal.com/3823768.html

Japan wants to independently develop a new generation fighter

https://bmpd.livejournal.com/3970684.html

First V-22В Ospreys for Japan delivered