Japan and the United Kingdom want to collaborate on a 6th generation stealth fighter jet.
Reuters, which broke the story first, said the British Tempest program and the Japanese
F-X program would be connected by the end of 2022, according to Reuters.
F-X & Tempest Mitsubishi Heavy Industries has been taking
the lead on the Japanese F-X program, while Team Tempest, a group of different companies,
is managing the Tempest program.
According to Reuters, the project will be an equal partnership between the two countries
and is set to cost tens of billions of dollars.
The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program, which produced three aircraft, came with a price
tag of more than $1.7 trillion.
One of the sources with knowledge of the plan said, "This would be an equal partnership
between Japan and Britain."
Another of the sources said that "the main thing that we are aiming for is to build a
common jet, which may have small differences in design for each country."
Another of the three sources said Britain could handle exports in Europe while Japan
would handle the Asian market.
The collaboration would spread development costs, while exporting would increase production
batches and reduce the price per aircraft, helping both countries stretch their defense
budgets.
The goal seems to be to design and build the same stealth fighter jet but with slight modifications
for each country’s version.
In the past, Japan has only worked with the U.S. on joint military projects.
If the Tempest and F-X programs united, then it would be a first for Tokyo.
The F-X program is supposed to have a test aircraft ready by 2028 with full production
scheduled for the 2030s, while the Tempest project aims to have an aircraft ready by
2027 with full production scheduled for the next decade too.
So, in terms of timelines, the two projects are fairly similar.
A scheme that would bring the two projects together would also make sense in budgetary
terms.
In some recent statements with respect to the revelation that the first Tempest will
be flying within five years, British Minister of Defense Ben Wallace gave a hint on the
Japanese connection (Japan already plays a small part in Team Tempest).
“I am delighted that the UK, alongside Italy, Japan, and Sweden, are working on the same
combat air journey together."
Our work with Japan and Italy on cutting-edge technologies like this shows the benefit of
our alliances across the world, "Wallace said.
“The design and development of the demonstrator aircraft represents an important milestone,
showcasing the success and talent of our engineers, programmers, and software developers."
"This programme will go on to attract opportunities for many more great minds and talent from
across the UK,” the British minister of defense added.
The Tempest According to the British Ministry of Defense,
the Tempest will have four main airframe features: balanced survivability; a next-generation
flight control system; an adaptable physical architecture; and scalable autonomy.
These features aim to give the Tempest a wide variety of capabilities, including but not
limited to, extensive battlefield situation awareness and data fusion; modular design
to meet the operational needs of different operators; the option for manned and unmanned
flight; and thermal management for more stealth.
In addition, Team Tempest, which includes BAE Systems, Leonardo, and Rolls Royce, among
other companies, wants to have thrust vectoring capabilities on the Tempest similar to those
of the F-22 Raptor.
Thrust vectoring capabilities make an aircraft incredibly maneuverable and can produce some
amazing acrobatics.
Put simply, thrust vectoring allows the pilot to point the thrust of the aircraft’s engines
in a different direction than that in which the aircraft is flying, thus allowing it to
swiftly change direction.
Pacific Alliance This move can also be understood within the
framework of the alliance being formed in the Pacific, to put a lid on China’s expansion.
It would represent a deepening of security ties between two close U.S. allies.
London is taking on a bigger military role in Asia under a strategic "tilt" towards the
Indo-Pacific, and Tokyo is expanding defense cooperation beyond Washington.
The shift to a European partner comes at a time when Japan’s defense spending is rising,
with the budget expected to double over the next decade as Prime Minister Fumio Kishida
sticks to the national security agenda of the late former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe
and fulfills an election promise to "substantially" increase military outlays.
What about the other Tempest partners?
The Tempest program is a tripartite venture between Italy, Sweden, and the UK, with the
latter clearly dominating decisions on the project.
While Tokyo and London are moving forward with merger negotiations, it is not known
where this leaves Rome and Sweden.
Some time ago, Italy had shown interest in participating in the Japanese F-X program.
Though perhaps that was just a ploy to bridge the gap between the two programs.
And the Swedish Defense Materiel Administration (FMV) recently contracted SAAB to conduct
a study on the development of future fighter aircraft.
It is not yet clear that Sweden wants to go all the way with the development of the Tempest
since it would be a high-performance twin-engine fighter would be a novelty for an air force
historically characterized by single-engine fighters.
It remains to be defined what role Italy and Sweden will play should Japan join as another
majority partner, on a par with the role played by the United Kingdom.