Japan again looks to get domestic fighter jet off ground
September 22, 2014
TOKYO -- The Japanese government is embarking on an ambitious quest to develop an entirely domestic fighter jet for the first time since the end of World War II.
It will work with major defense contractors such as Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and IHI on the project, which is a milestone in Japan's defense procurement policy. The project will start in earnest in fiscal 2015, with work on a prototype engine and assessments of the aircraft's stealth capabilities. The outlook for the costly undertaking is murky, however, given that the U.S. has never supported Japan's efforts to develop a fighter on its own.
The first big step in the project will take place in January, when an aircraft mounted with a test engine is scheduled to fly for the first time. The engine was developed jointly by the Ministry of Defense and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and will serve as the basis for the fighter's prototype engine.
The goal is to develop a light and powerful engine by combining components that have been developed separately, including a high-pressure turbine and a fuel system.
IHI, which is helping to develop the engine, is using ceramic composites for the turbine in an industry first. The composite is lighter than the nickel alloy traditionally used in turbines and can withstand temperatures up to 1,400 C. The manufacturer hopes to use the material for engines on passenger jets in the future.
Bitter memories
The defense ministry's decision to develop the engine first is a reflection of Japan's unhappy history when it comes to indigenous fighter jets. A previous project was abandoned in the face of U.S. opposition in 1987. The U.S. balked at Japan developing its own fighter to replace the F-1, arguing that Japan lacked the technology to develop its own jet engine. It insisted on joint development based on the U.S. F-16.
With the Soviet threat in mind, the Defense Agency -- now the Ministry of Defense -- had envisioned a high-performance fighter that could skim the surface of the sea to avoid detection and knock out enemy ships. But U.S. Air Force officers pressured officials from Japan's Defense Agency to abandon the idea.
Mitsubishi Heavy and other Japanese defense contractors had the technology to produce sophisticated radars, fuselages and missiles. The only component Japan was unable to develop on its own was the engine. The agency considered using U.S.-made engines for the jet. Japanese defense officials interpreted U.S. coolness to the initiative as a signal that it would not supply engines for the aircraft if it went ahead on its own. In the end, they opted for joint development.
"Back then, we thought the U.S. was urging us to drop the project simply because Japan didn't have the necessary technology," said Masahiro Yasue, who was director general of the defense ministry's Technical Research and Development Institute at the time.
"But later we realized the U.S. was worried about Japan's acquisition of advanced technology for fighter jets," said Yasue, who is now an adviser with Kawasaki Heavy Industries.
