Zain Malik
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U.S. Air Force F-35 jets: Japan has ordered 42 of the Lockheed Martin planes. © AP
TOKYO -- Lockheed Martin has proposed developing a new Japanese stealth fighter with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, the U.S. defense giant's president told The Nikkei.
"We did respond with our partner MHI to the request for information in August," Lockheed Martin President Marillyn Hewson said in an interview at the Japan Aerospace 2016 trade show.
Lockheed Martin's proposal was made in response to a call from Japan's Ministry of Defense, which is weighing options to boost Japan's defensive capabilities in the face of rising regional tensions.
Japan is looking to replace its aging fleet of around 90 F-2 fighters and is mulling three possibilities. The first would be for Japan to develop a new jet domestically. The second would be co-development with foreign defense contractors, such as Lockheed Martin. The third would be to buy more existing aircraft -- say, Lockheed Martin's F-35 stealth jet.
The Japanese ministry's deliberations are ongoing, with a second round of information requests to be made by the end of next March. "We will definitely respond [to this request], we will be a part of that process," Hewson said. A final decision is expected in fiscal 2018.
Lockheed Martin rival Boeing has also proposed working with MHI on a replacement for the F-2. Alternatively, the Japanese contractor could opt to go it alone with its experimental stealth fighter, which made its maiden flight in April.
Japan has already purchased 42 F-35s from Lockheed Martin to replace its F-4 fleet. The F-35 was originally developed by the U.S. and eight other countries, including the U.K. and Italy, in what has been described as the world's largest weapons program.
The first four F-35s destined for Japan are being built at Lockheed Martin's plant in Texas; the rollout ceremony for the first completed jet took place on Sept. 23.
The remaining 38 jets will be made by MHI at its final assembly and checkout facility near Nagoya -- one of only two such facilities outside the U.S. "It's a lot of jobs and it's a lot of technology transfer and opportunities for Japan to continue to grow their defense capability," Hewson said. The U.S. Defense Department has chosen Japan and Australia to serve as maintenance sites for the F-35 in the Asia-Pacific region.
Hewson visited the facility near Nagoya during her trip to Japan. "Many of our employees are working side by side with [MHI] employees," she said. "It was great to see them on the production floor there."
