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Going back to World War 2, Japan has been reluctant to arm itself in any significant way,
and its Air Force is particularly outdated compared to modern military standards.
As China and Russia unveil new generations of powerful fighter planes,
the Island nation is now scrambling to modernize its own warplanes,
not wanting to leave the future of their people in the hands of foreign allies.
For Japan, the obvious choice was to buy 5th generation Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptors,
the influential US fighter more than capable of facing its Russian
and Chinese counterparts. But after the US banned exports of its groundbreaking
fighter to protect its technology, Japan was left without options.
Thus, in an unprecedented move,
the Asian nation decided to develop its first 6th generation warplane.
The ambitious scheme has innumerable obstacles to overcome. But if it succeeds,
it will not only deliver a state-of-the-art warplane like the world has not seen before,
but it will also launch Japan right into the global armament industry…
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A Rising Threat
For many years, Japan’s modest Air Force was considered more than enough to deter
an attack from China or Russia. Recently, however, Japanese authorities have become
seriously concerned that those militaries have far surpassed their own airborne capabilities.
The concerning gap doesn’t only relate to raw numbers, with China
reportedly possessing six warplanes for every Japanese counterpart, but also to technology.
China and Russia have been rapidly replacing their Cold War-era fighter planes with modern
powerhouses like the multi-role J-10 and J-20 or the Su-57 Russian stealth fighter.
To make matters worse, the two totalitarian superpowers have increasingly conducted probes
around Japanese airspace, carefully measuring Japan’s ability to respond
to an airborne threat and seriously alarming Japanese Defense Agencies.
As of today, most of Japan’s combat aircraft capabilities are delivered
by the American 4th generation F-15 Eagle fighters, a capable but aging
warplane that was initially deployed back in 1974 during the height of the Cold War.
Japan also has a limited number of American 5th generation F-35 Lightning II jets at
their disposal. Still, they have expressed severe dissatisfaction with their armament capabilities,
conventional take-off, and ability to carry just four AIM-120 air-to-air missiles.
In contrast, Russian Su-57 and Chinese J-20 stealth fighters can each carry six missiles,
while the American F-22 Raptor can hold eight.
With most of its Air Force entirely outclassed by
the Chinese and Russian solutions, Japan turned to the United States to buy their
rigorously developed warplanes as they had done many times before.
The Japanese immediately put their sights on the F-22 Raptor, a groundbreaking 5th
generation aircraft that would give them an advantage over their enemies. However, the
US banned all exports of the warplane to protect its stealth technology and classified features.
A Domestic Solution
In response to its inability to acquire F22 Raptors and in a bid to gain military
manufacturing independence, Japan opted to create its own combat aircraft development program.
From its inception in the early 2000s,
the F-X program had the objective to research what the 6th generation combat aircraft would
look like and what it would take to develop a fleet of warplanes with such characteristics.
Japan knew that if it wanted to produce a fighter capable of facing current Chinese
and Russian aircraft but also providing protection against future iterations,
it needed to skip an entire generation.
Between December of 2009 and August of 2010, the Japanese Ministry of Defense performed
a rigorous study of the current and future trends regarding combat aircraft technology.
The research results helped the Japanese develop the concept for a 6th generation
fighter codenamed i3 Fighter, for Informed, Intelligent, Instantaneous.
The new fighter needed to have a series of specific features if it was to be
considered a 6th generation design, including advanced radar systems to counter the stealth
technology of other fighters, receiving targeting information from other platforms like drones,
fighters, and airborne early warning and control aircraft,
the use of fly-by-optics to process data even faster, stealth technology,
gallium nitride semiconductors to boost radar performance, and a new, more powerful engine.
Mitsubishi X-2 Shinshin
To test, adjust, and further research the vast array of technical requirements needed
to build its new generation of fighters, the Japanese Ministry of Defense created
a one-of-a-kind demonstrator platform called the Mitsubishi X-2 Shinshin.
This experimental prototype allows engineers to mount and adjust all
the assets they are testing in a versatile vehicle
that enables the team to incorporate new technologies in a straightforward manner.
The X-2 was a critical part of the F-X program and was active from 2016 to 2018.
The prototype was considered a success, and it is speculated that many of the
systems showcased in the model will be part of the 6th generation fighter.
The twin-engine fixed-wing aircraft featured a sleek design with a longer nose section.
It had a length of 14.17 meters,
a wing span of approximately 9.1 meters, and a height of 4.51 meters.
In addition, it featured a cropped delta wings configuration with cutting-edge root
extension that allowed the aircraft to fly safely at a high angle of attack.
Two outward vertical stabilizers on the trailing
edges improved aerodynamics and stealth characteristics.
The aircraft was a single-pilot fighter equipped
with a retractable tricycle-landing gear configuration and featured aerodynamic
control surfaces and two rectangular intakes on either side of the cockpit.
At the same time, the S-duct design further improved the aircraft’s aerodynamic efficiency.
The Mitsubishi F-X Godzilla
Based on the research and feedback obtained from the Shinshin X-2,
the Japanese Ministry of Defense began the early development of the Mitsubishi F-X in 2020.
The current concept describes a twin-engine stealth fighter designed for air superiority. It
is also planned to be considerably larger than the F-22, which has earned it the nickname “Godzilla.”
The increased dimensions will allow the aircraft to have extraordinarily long-range and large
ordnance capacity. In addition, Defense Minister Taro Kono has stated that they are focusing on
developing unparalleled network capabilities and the ability to carry more missiles than the F-35.
Several exterior designs have been proposed, adjusted, and tested via 3-D modeling and
specialized virtual simulation software, and the design prioritizes speed, agility, and stealth.
The F-X will replace conventional hydraulic systems with electric
actuators to give the designers much more freedom when creating
its body without being limited by the internal hydraulic systems.
Also, the aircraft will use state-of-the-art adhesive molding instead of conventional
fasteners to achieve formidable integrity at a much lower weight.
This will also reduce the man-hours needed to deploy the novel aircraft.
Finally, the FX fighter will be powered by two XF9 engines capable of providing over 20 tons
of thrust. The engines incorporate three-dimensional thrust vector
nozzles to allow the aircraft to achieve high maneuverability and improve stealth capabilities.
Armament
An array of sensors to engage enemy stealth aircraft will be included, such as an active
electronically scanned array radar, passive radio frequency sensor, and an infrared camera.
These sensors will use Gallium nitride to improve
their performance against low radar cross-section targets.
The F-X will also be equipped with an RF self-defense system that will automatically
disrupt radio waves instantly and globally to prevent being hit by incoming projectiles.
Another feature will be a helmet-mounted display with a wide field of vision,
binocular, multi-color display, voice recognition, and 3-D sound capabilities.
Serpentine air-ducts, an internal weapons bay, electromagnetic wave absorbers, and metamaterials
will give the FX its stealth capabilities, drastically reducing its radar cross-section.
Additionally, a plasma stealth antenna system will be used to deflect radio waves,
and the technology will create a temporary plasma burst to deflect incoming radio waves.
Apart from conventional weapons and warheads, the F-X will be armed with a microwave canon
to disrupt incoming missiles. It will also be able to deploy Combat
Support Unmanned Aircraft drones capable of functioning as loyal wingmen to the fighter.
The drones will help identify targets, fire munitions, and direct incoming missiles away.
If the F-X Godzilla delivers just a fraction of what it promises, it has the potential to give
the Japanese armed forces a formidable warplane far superior to anything in the skies today.
More impressively, it will launch Japan into the global weapons development market,
cementing it as a military manufacturing superpower.
Final CTA
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stories behind the most incredible warplanes and the men who flew them into battle. Stay tuned!