English translation: MoJ charges Mitsubishi Heavy Industries with development of airframe as part of Advanced Technology Demonstrator fighter plane project

Thanks to @_niten for providing the translation on the article regarding the development of the Shinshin stealth fighter.

As part of the Advanced Technology Demonstrator (ATD-X or “Shinshin”) project that will help develop fighter planes twenty years from now, the Ministry of Defense (MoD) plans to commission Mitsubishi Heavy Industries to development the airframe to as soon as within this financial year. In addition, funds for spare parts and maintenance materials totally approximately JPY 9 billion (roughly USD 117 million) look to be included in the draft requests for the FY 2012 budget which come out at the end of September. This effort will evaluate the operational effectiveness of each technological component, and will help make the successor to the F2 fighter plane a domestic effort.

The ATD-X will not be deployed to units, but is a plane that will verify both the stealth ability to not be picked up on enemy radar, and the high kinetic performance which allows quick turns when traveling at low speed. No mission avionics or weapon systems such as missiles will be installed. Forecasts see a maiden flight in FY 2014, and flight tests in FY 2015-2016.

From 2009 the MoD had charged Mitsubishi Heavy Industries with developing the manufacturing design, and as this has been completed the move is now to construction of the airframe.