Mitsubishi Heavy Industries is the main producer of the new stealth fighter, with Technical support from Lockheed Martin.
The Japanese government has chosen Mitsubishi Heavy Industries as the main producer of a new generation of stealth fighters, with U.S. -based Lockheed Martin providing technical support, the Nikkei reported Friday.
Spending on research and development is expected to top 4.16 trillion yen (HK $310 billion), with the new fighter expected to be deployed by 2035, replacing the F2 aircraft in service. Japan wants to acquire new fighter jets to counter China and Russia and strengthen its alliance with the United States, analysts said.
The new aircraft will be named F3 or FX, with JAL satellite Health planning to purchase 90. The Japanese government envisions the new fighter as a multi-purpose fighter with air combat capability and the ability to attack land and sea targets, as well as stealth and network capabilities to resist electronic jamming. The new aircraft will also focus on interoperability, sharing data with the U.S. Military’s F-22 and F-35 fighter jets in an emergency to make joint missions easier. The F35 manufactured by Lockheed Martin is also purchased from aviation Health.
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries designs the fuselage and integration system, while IHI makes the engines and landing gear, and Fuji Heavy Industries makes the landing gear, the report said. The radar was developed by Toshiba and Fujitsu, while the electronic warfare system was developed by Mitsubishi Electric. The ministry has requested 77.2 billion yen (HK $5.75 billion) in next year’s budget for the development of the new fighter jet, which will be approved by the cabinet later this month. If the new fighter plan materialises, it would be mitsubishi Heavy Industries’ second attempt to build a formula 1 fighter jet in the 1970s.
China has more than 1,000 fourth-generation fighters, a threefold increase over the past decade, and plans to deploy stealth-capable fifth-generation fighters, according to the data. In addition, Russia’s plan to introduce a fifth-generation fighter jet coincides with the development of a large number of unmanned aerial vehicles.
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