Lockheed Martin submits F-35 bid for Japan

[Lankan Ranger]

Lockheed Martin submits F-35 bid for Japan

Lockheed Martin and the US Air Force have responded to a Japanese request for proposals for a next-generation F-X fighter with a bid using the F-35 Lightning II.

Facing competition from the Boeing F/A-18E Super Hornet Block II and Eurofighter Typhoon, Lockheed is promoting the F-35 as representing "the pinnacle of fighter aircraft development".

"We are confident that F-35 delivers unmatched cost-effective capability for Japan's defence, now and well into the future," said Lockheed campaign director John Balderston. "We are committed to an enduring F-35 partnership with Japanese industry to deliver F-35's transformational fifth-generation capability for Japan's long-term national security."

To replace the Japan Air Self-Defence Force's McDonnell Douglas/Mitsubishi Heavy Industries F-4 Phantoms, the F-X contest is advancing after Tokyo issued a request for proposals in mid-April. This came after it abandoned previous hopes of persuading the US government to approve the international sale of Lockheed's F-22A Raptor air dominance fighter.

Japan as having an active fleet of 90 F-4s, including 14 reconnaissance-configured examples.

Lockheed Martin submits F-35 bid for Japan

 

[PERSIAN GOD KING]

Is the f-35 any good?

 

[Korean]

Is the f-35 any good?

No. Japanese are going with the stealth-enhanced Super Hornet due to weapons compatibility issue, at least that's the word from Japan.

It is notoriously hard to integrate non-US weapons into F-35 due to endless regulations and committee decisions, while Boeing is willing to integrate Japanese missiles into Super Hornet quickly, no red tapes here.

 

[Mo12]

Why isnt Rafale participating, when it did in Brazil and India auction?

 

[Korean]

Why isnt Rafale participating, when it did in Brazil and India auction?

The French didn't believe that Japanese were actually going to pick non-US aircraft, thus no point competing.

Anyhow, Japanese antiship missiles are vastly superior to US ones, and they must use Japanese antiship missiles with the winner. The US antiship missile is lacking because the US never faced a navy equal in strength to them, so the US was never particularly strong in the antiship missile department. This is why F-35 is seen as having little chance of winning, because it's like buying a gun without bullets.

 

[SpiritHS]

Japan are delirious with china's extremism