Japan's close cooperation with the United States led to significant development of its
military industry. With U.S. help, the F-16C-based Mitsubishi F-2 fighters were created. Let's
also not forget the Congo-class cruisers, modeled on the U.S. Arleigh Burke-class destroyers.
Today, we're going to check on the development of Japan's sixth-generation fighter jet, which
should help the country deter aggression from North Korea, China, and Russia.
The Japanese company Mitsubishi, together with the Japan Self-Defense Forces, are actively
developing a sixth-generation fighter, which will replace the model X-2 Shinshin by 2030.
The project was named Mitsubishi F-3. It is also known as the Mitsubishi F-X or "Godzilla",
either because of its size, or as a tribute to the world-famous kaiju that destroyed Tokyo
more than once in the movies. What is noteworthy is that the new fighter
will be the first ever stealth aircraft made in Japan. In addition, the country wants to
present it on the international stage, drawing the interest of the world's leading nations
in acquiring it.
The F-X program began as a result of a U.S. ban on Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor exports
in order to protect its military technology. As Japan was unable to purchase F-22 fighters,
and the country's air fleet needed a radical upgrade, the Ministry of Defense conducted
a study to develop a sixth-generation fighter to replace the F-2. First and foremost, military
experts decided that a state-of-the-art jet engine was needed.
The fighter concept itself was dubbed "i3" (Informed, Intelligent, Instantaneous).
Its technological centerpiece intends to incorporate advanced radar systems to counter stealth
aircraft. This makes sense, considering that the fighter itself is also being built using
low-visibility technology. Among the engineers' innovations, there are also several drones
working in unison that are meant to obtain information about the location of targets
and to counteract them. The aircraft will use the Fly-by-optics system
as an auxiliary tool, which provides higher data transfer speed, resistance to electromagnetic
interference and significantly less weight compared to its "ancestor" – fly-by-wire.
Earlier similar technology was already used in the Kawasaki P-1 aircraft.
Almost all of the sixth-generation fighter development is directly related to the X-2
Shinshin demonstrator. It enabled the country to test advanced functionality and then equip
the F-3 with it. Japan's interest in selling the fighter jet
overseas led to authorities exploring the possibility of collaborating with the world's
largest countries on the latest aircraft in 2017-2018.
First on the list, of course, was the United States, followed by the United Kingdom. The
Japanese sent offers to leading aviation companies—Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman and BAE
Systems—to participate in the project. Boeing offered to create an upgraded version
of its F-15, Lockheed Martin offered to create a multitasking fighter F-35 and to take the
lion's share of the development and production of their future aircraft, Northrop Grumman
presented its YF-23, the technology of which could also be taken into consideration, and
BAE Systems, in turn, was ready to provide the Eurofighter Typhoon.
Nevertheless, the Eurofighter Typhoon and F-15 did not meet the requirements of the
Japanese Ministry, and the Lockheed Martin stealth fighter was too expensive for the
country. In addition, Japan feared that the situation with the ban on F-22 sales could
be repeated in the future. An internal Japanese report stated that the high-tech fighter would
have cost $177 million. Several years of "trying out" different collaboration
options led to the authorities deciding that they would focus on their own production,
giving the project to the domestic company Mitsubishi. But they did not rule out cooperation
with foreign industry experts in the future.
Among the main requirements to the F-3 fighter were: total air superiority, the expansion
of functionality by introducing new generation technologies, the possibility to modify the
platform on a regular basis, and the predominant participation of Japanese industry in the
creation of the project and affordable cost. And while the first four points seemed to
be in order, the cost of the entire project turned out to be considerable – more than
48 billion dollars.
Due to its impressive size, Japanese engineers expect the F-X to have many times the range
of its F-2 predecessor and its respective payload.
Electric actuators will be used to replace conventional hydraulic systems. According
to the Ministry of Defense of Japan, this choice was made because of difficulties with
the interior of the F-3. When designing the fighter, it was necessary
to take the inner gun compartment and air intakes into account, however, eventually
the engineers were faced with another problem in the form of hydraulic system piping installation.
The introduction of electric actuators completely eliminated this shortcoming, due to them being
connected through wiring. This means the installation will be simpler and provide more flexibility
when forming the airframe. Another cool design feature was to abandon
fastener connections by "gluing" composite materials together. This method was called
"integrated construction without fasteners". As for maintaining aircraft hull lightness
even with its impressive size, aluminum alloy and carbon fiber reinforced polymer will be
applied in the engine area to reduce weight. The engines themselves will be equipped with
nozzles with a three-dimensional thrust vector, which will allow the fighter to achieve maximum
possible maneuverability and be stealthier. Unlike its F-2 predecessor, the F-X will expand
the use of carbon fiber and adhesive casting throughout the fuselage to reduce the structural
weight of the hull by 11.6% and reduce labor costs by nearly 70%!
A lot of effort and money was thrown into the avionics of the project, among other things.
Built-in sensors, including AESA, RF sensors, and an infrared camera, are used to detect
other "invisible" aircraft in the air. And to keep enemies from realizing that an F-3
had caught up with them, electromagnetic wave absorbers and ionized gas were used to enhance
the "invisible" properties in order to reduce radar cross-section.
In addition to its "invisibility", special attention will be paid to the use of radar
as a microwave weapon to increase the effectiveness of countering enemy missiles. The fighter
uses a semiconductor material, gallium nitride, which will enable the plane to literally "fry"
enemy missiles! According to the preliminary estimates of
the engineers, this amount of electronics will generate a lot of heat. To cope with
it, a special heat transfer system will be installed in the F-3.
To have the F-3 equipped with cruise missiles, Tokyo has recently invested millions of dollars
in ASM-3 anti-ship missiles, as well as low-observable Joint Strike Missiles, which, in addition
to effectively destroying sea targets, can dispatch targets located on land.
F-3 pilots will actively use UAVs as support. The drone development program is called Combat
Support Unmanned Aircraft, and the principle resembles the Kratos XQ-58 Valkyrie and Boeing
Airpower Teaming System projects, in which the drone plays the role of the "wingman".
There are several drone types. The first will act as a sensor carrier and scout for target
detection. The second, more militaristic drone is capable of firing ammunition and directing
incoming missiles toward itself, steering them away from the fighter. Both versions
of the drones are made using the same design. Their development is planned to be completed
by 2030.
According to the schedule, the first prototype will be created by 2024 and a test flight
will take place in 2028. As for mass fighter production in the future, they plan to start
it in 2031, and by 2035 the aircraft will be put into service, after purchasing the
first batch of 90 aircraft.
One of the main goals of this Japanese sixth-generation fighter was to counter Russian and Chinese
stealth fighters. The F-3 will enable Japan not only to secure
the support of the most powerful world power, the United States (if cooperation with American
corporations continues), but also to keep up with its armed "neighbors", who cause constant
tension due to their growing military power near Japan's borders. In addition, the potential
threat posed by North Korea's nuclear program shouldn't be forgotten about, either.
Disputes in the East and South China Seas continue as China's power grows by leaps and
bounds, frightening not only Japan but also the rest of the world. Chinese and Russian
fighter jets and bombers are very often spotted around Japanese airspace, leading to tense
confrontations, such as the confrontation in 2019 over disputed islands involving the
South Korean military. Experts believe that Japan's development of
its own military technology greatly unnerves China, as it leads to the increased militarization
of the country. Consequently, it would be able to successfully counter the Chinese Shenyang
J-11, Chengdu J-20 and Shenyang FC-31 fighters in retaliation.
Beijing's gradually expanding fleet of stealth fighters is forcing Japan to devote a lot
of attention to stealth technology. Especially considering the fact that Russia is also testing
this technology and is actively developing it in its latest modifications of its Su-57
fighters. Japan intends to enlist the support of its
allies in the creation of the fighter jet. Its main international partner currently is
Lockheed-Martin with the low-observable F-35 fighter. In addition, Japanese partners have
an interest in assistance from Northrop Grumman, if they are still willing to help develop
the project. Help from the United States could significantly
speed up the development cycle and complement the existing technology stack with their unique
vision of aircraft building.
What do you think of the new Japanese fighter jet?
What feature impressed you the most? Be sure to let us know in the comments!
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