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 will sign a Memorandum of Cooperation in order to share technology and collaborate on future missile and aircraft programmes. Japan also revealed details about its next-generation fighter. In 40 years, this is the first time Japan has been involved in the development of a new fighter aircraft.
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 be equipped with stealth technology and optionally manned by a pilot. It also has high levels of manned/unmanned teaming. The aircraft will reach speeds of up to hypersonic range. Hypersonic weapons are difficult to track and cannot be recalled once they are fired. The super-cruise engine will enable the aircraft to fly at unbelievable speeds.
The aircraft will be equipped with a bonded framework, which means that its structure is bonded together. This will reduce the aircraft's overall weight. The aircraft will also have a reduced weight and a longer operational range. The aircraft will be likely equipped with Japanese-developed avionics engines and an engine developed by British companies.
A joint air-to–air missile program will be developed as part of the UK-Japan partnership. Japan has extensive domestic research on component technologies and will likely work with the British company BAE Systems, which is a leading aerospace and defense company. They have extensive knowledge in electronic warfare and will likely be working on data technology for military aircraft.
Japan plans to begin series production of the F-X program in 2031. The F-X program was first introduced in 1950s. The aircraft will cost approximately 5 trillion yen or $48 billion. Japan plans on building 90 more aircraft and will deploy the fighter in 2030.
It will feature an integrated bonded structure that is likely to be made from composite materials. This will help reduce weight and provide greater flexibility for air base operations. Heat shields will be installed on the aircraft. The aircraft will be equipped with advanced digital capabilities and advanced AI capabilities. Advanced networking systems, Gallium Nickel (GaN), radars, as well as AESA radars, will all be part of the aircraft.
The F-X program will be designed in Japan, and will be developed by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. The company's stealth airplane X2 (which flew its first flight on April 2016) is an example how such a program can be built. It is a high tech aircraft featuring three-dimensional vectored thrust control, flyby optics and an advanced 3D vectored throug control system. It is also the first demonstration of experimental stealth technology.
Many other companies are expected to be part of the UK-Japan partnership, including Northrup Grumman and Rolls Royce. These companies are experts in electronic warfare technology and air-to-air missile development, and will collaborate with the Japanese company to create a powerplant.