Japan To Test Locally-made Stealth Jet In Early 2016

[Rangila]

Japan To Test Locally-made Stealth Jet In Early 2016

Japan’s Mitsubishi Heavy Industries is expected to test fly a locally-made stealth jet by March 2016 with technology developed in-house.

The plane, called Advanced Technology Demonstrator X (ATD-X) will then be handed over to the Japanese Self Defence Force (SDF), which will start conducting its own tests, Bloomberg quoted Hirofumi Doi, a program manager at the Defense Ministry as saying.

The jet measures 14 meters and is equipped with engines from IHI Corp., will cost ¥40 billion ($325 million) to develop, Doi said. The ATD-X could become the basis for a new fighter jet to replace the nation’s F-2, said Takahiro Yoshida, a director in the ministry told Bloomberg.

The ATD-X program will be the forerunner of a military stealth fighter/bomber. A decision on developing the fighter seems to have been influenced by stealth aircraft programs of China and Russian, both of whom have made aggressive manoeuvres by air and naval assets near Japanese territory.

Another reason could be exports. Prime Minister Abe’s focus on selling Japanese-built defence equipment has seen Tokyo bid for selling submarines to Australia and an amphibious aircraft to India.

With the Japanese parliament last year allowing the SDF to flight overseas, Abe wants to have an army equipped with the latest and best equipment.

 

[The Eagle]

Hope to hear more about it.

 

[Arsalan]

One little piece of information in order to avoid any confusion,,,

This is ADT-X

AND
It is not a fifth generation fighter plane.

there will be quite few people here who will go into that debate and rightly so, this planes looks nothing like a stealth plane. Look at the cockpit, the air-intakes, the weapon hard points. At best it can come close to Super Hornet when it comes to RCS and that surely wont make it a fifth generation plane. But before we go into that debate, please note that you are right and actually, the ADT-X is not a fifth generation plane but it is just a TESTING PLANE to test and evaluate some fifth generation technologies. technologies like a thrust vectoring engine, EW suite, the place is to have a fly by optics systems (replacing the current latest fly-by-wire) which results in faster response, a new AESA with multiple features and broad spectrum agility. IN addition to these fifth generation capabilities, it is reported to also have a SIXTH GENERATION "Self Repairing Flight Control Capability"' , a feature that will allow the aircraft to automatically detect failures or damage in its flight control surfaces, and using the remaining control surfaces, calibrate accordingly to retain controlled flight.
Air frame structure is not likely to be one of the things being tested/evaluated for the 5th generation plane as this plane will need heavy modifications to turn it into a fifth generation air frame and minimizing RCS.

So please continue any discussion, proceed with any comments on this plane keeping in mind that this is not a 5th generation itself but just a test platform for some technologies.

 

[TopCat]

Too expensive..

 

[Chanakyaa]

Too expensive..

"Expensive" is a Relative Term in Defence my Freind.

 

[KAL-EL]

Interesting... I wish them all the best.