During a visit to the United Kingdom last year, Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and his British counterpart Boris Johnson agreed to cooperate on future fighter programmes. They are expected together to sign a Memorandum of Cooperation for future technology sharing and cooperation on missile and aircraft programs. In addition, Japan has revealed details of its own next-generation fighter. This is the first time in 40 years that Japan has been responsible for the development of a fighter craft.
A report by the Nikkei newspaper revealed details of Japan's 6th-generation fighter, which is set to enter service in 2035. The aircraft will feature stealth technologies and be optionally manned. They also have high levels manned-unmanned teaming. The aircraft will reach speeds of up to hypersonic range. Hypersonic weapons can be difficult to track and are not easily recallable once fired. The aircraft will be likely equipped with a supercruise engines, which will allow for incredible flying speeds.
The aircraft is expected to come with a bonded structure, which means that the structure of the aircraft is bonded together. This will lower the overall weight. The aircraft will also be lighter and have a greater operating range. It will likely have avionics and engines from Japan, as well as a British-developed powerplant.
The UK-Japan partnership includes the development of an air-to-air missile system. Japan is an expert in domestic component technology research, so they will likely cooperate with British defense and aerospace company BAE Systems. They are highly skilled in electronic warfare, so they will likely work on data technology to support military aircraft.
Japan is planning to launch series production in 2031 of F-X, a program that has existed since the 1950s. The aircraft will cost about 5 trillion yen, or about $48 billion. Japan will build 90 aircraft and be ready to deploy fighters in the 2030s.
The fuselage will be integrated and made of composite materials. This will help reduce the aircraft's weight and allow the air force to be more flexible in their operations. Heat shields will also be fitted to the aircraft. The aircraft will also be capable of advanced digital capabilities as well advanced AI capabilities. The aircraft will also feature advanced networking systems and Gallium Nitride (GaN), radars as well as AESA radios.
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries will create the F-X program. This program is illustrated by the company's stealth aircraft X2, which flew its first flight in April 2016. It's a high-tech aircraft that features three-dimensional vectored control, flyby optics, as well as a 3D vectored control system. It is also the first demonstration of experimental stealth technology.
The UK-Japan partnership is expected to involve many other companies, including Rolls Royce and Northrup Grumman. These companies have developed electronic warfare technology and air missiles, and they will partner with the Japanese company in order to develop a powerplant.