Boeing will to let Japan license produce F/A-18
A senior Boeing official said his company is willing to let Japaneses companies to have some production work on the F/A-18 Super Hornet if Tokyo selects the aircraft.
Japan risks losing fighter engineering skills
An official review of the Japanese fighter industrial base found warns the capabilities build over the years will be lost in this decade unless something is done. With the F-2 production line closing and new fighter ordered, the skills and knowledge will be lost.
Tokyo and Washington mulls F-35 participation
Kyodo News reported on Tuesday that Washington is considering Japan's request to join the F-35 program even though Tokyo might ultimately not buy the aircraft.
Japan prepares to buy F-35
Tokyo has decided to give up on acquiring the F-22 and switch its choice to the F-35 instead. The Defense Ministry is expected to make budgetary requests for the stealth plane in the fiscal 2011 budget.
Japan not yet to give up on F-22
A Japanese Defense Ministry spokesman said Friday that his country will still continue to collect information on the F-22 fighter as a candidate to succeed its aging F-4EJ after the U.S. House of Representatives decided to terminate production of the fighter. Katashi Toyota, press secretary for the ministry, said at a press conference that Tokyo "does not necessarily give up" on its plan to study acquisition of the F-22.
Murtha open to spending more on F-22
U.S. Appropriations Defense subcommittee chairman, Rep. John Murtha, is considering boosting funds for the F-22. Murtha told The Hill on Thursday that he is "leaning toward" funding for long lead items to build more F-22s beyond 2010.
Murtha added that he will be meeting Japanese government officials to gauge their nation’s interest in purchasing the plane.
Gen. Richard Myers (retired): F-22s crucial for Israel, Japan and U.S.
Former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff U.S. Air Force Gen. Richard Myers (ret.), tells Aviation Week that dangers posed by China, Iran and Russia can only be countered by more F-22s. Myers said any resistance within the USAF to export the Raptor to Japan will be isolated and not critical.
Boeing willing to let Japan license produce F-15SE
Faced with a possible break in the domestic production of fighter jets in Japan, Boeing is capitalizing on the situation by offering to let Japan license produce the F-15 Silent Eagle. For Japanese companies, being allowed to take part in licensed production will be a matter of survival as no more fighter is being produced after the last F-2 is delivered in 2011.
BAE System pitches Eurofighter to Japan
BAE System says Japan should consider buying the Eurofighter to replace the F-4J since the country cannot get its hands on the F-22. Officials from the company said the biggest advantage in choosing the fighter is that it allows Japan to license produce the aircraft and integrate it with Japanese equipment.
U.S. sees big obstacles to F-22 exports
Speaking on the export of the F-22, U.S. Air Force Chief of Staff General Norton Schwartz said there are "very substantial" legal, technical and timing obstacles. He said he doubted Gates would change his position opposing exports, even to trusted allies.
Senators inquire about selling F-22s to Japan
Lt. Gen. Mark Shackelford, military deputy in the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, told a Senate panel on how the F-22 could be exported to Japan once restrictions are lifted. Shackelford said that a foreign nation interested in acquiring the fighter would have to foot the bill to convert the fighter, in addition to overcoming legal hurdles.
Hamada: Japan still prefers F-22
On Tuesday, Japan's Defense Minister Yasukazu Hamada said: "As of today, we still want to seek the F-22." He was responding to a comment by Pentagon's press secretary Geoff Morrell that U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates has recommended to Hamada that Japan consider procuring the F-35.
F-22 to cost Japan $250 million per plane
U.S. Senator Daniel Inouye, who heads the Senate Appropriations Committee, sent a letter to the Japanese ambassador suggesting that it would cost Japan as much as $250 million per plane to buy the F-22. The price includes the cost of creating an export version of the jet. This assumes production would begin in four to five years, with deliveries in seven to nine years, according to two sources familiar with the letter.
Gates pushes F-35 to Japan
U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates told Japanese Defense Minister Yasukazu Hamada earlier this month that the F-35 is a better choice than the F-22 for JASDF. Washington will send Michael Schiffer, deputy assistant secretary of defense for East Asia, to Japan later this month to discuss the issue.
Japan still pursuing F-22
Jane's queried the Japanese defense establishment on media reports that it will stop pursuing the F-22 and the response was that there is no change in policy. In other words, Japan has not given up plans to buy the stealth fighter.
Japan likely to drop plans for F-22
Government sources say Tokyo will drop its plan to procure the F-22 to replace its F-15J fighters. It will instead focus on three candidates: the Eurofighter Typhoon, the F-35 and the F-15FX.
Japan's FX program delayed
Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Takeo Kawamura said Saturday that a plan to buy seven fighters under the FX program in 2009 has been abandoned. Eight CX cargo planes' purchase has been postponed as well.
Japan may get RAF's third Eurofighter tranche
British defense officials have confirmed that London is in talks with Riyadh and Tokyo to sell off its third tranche of 88 Eurofighters. 48 Eurofighters could be heading to Japan to form two squadrons.
Japan's F-X delayed again
A decision to replace Japan's aging F-4 fighters has been delayed till next year and the Japanese are beginning to give up the idea of getting the F-22. Flight International says it is likely that Japan will opt for an improved version of the F-15 which will combine features from the F-15K and F-15SG.
More F-15Js to be modernized
The Yomiuri Shimbun has learned that the Japanese Ministry of Defense wants to upgrade an additional dozen of F-15J fighters. The move is deemed necessary as the country's next fighter program has been delayed.
BAE Says U.S. Export Ban on F-22 May Help Eurofighter in Japan
An export ban of the Lockheed Martin F-22 stealth fighter by the U.S. Congress is going to help the Eurofighter in the Japanese market, BAE System says. A senior executive from the company said: "The Japanese have looked at Typhoon. They like the look of it."
F-15 upgrades face ministry bargain hunt
Japan has given up hopes of early access to the F-22 stealth fighter for its planned F-X fighter program. Instead it will choose to upgrade its F-15 fighters. However, recent military procurement scandals in the Defense Ministry could make it difficult for the ministry to obtain funds.
Japan may buy Eurofighter, defence minister says
Japanese Defence Minister Shigeru Ishiba said in an interview on Wednesday that Japan is considering buying Eurofighter Typhoons. He revealed that his ministry has yet to decide if the F-22 is absolutely necessary for Japan.
Ishiba added that the Rafale is difficult to use and he will not buy Russian planes. That leaves the Eurofighter as the only choice.
More on Japanese Stealth (Video)
Bill Sweetman posted a broken link of the video of Japan's stealth fighter demonstrator that it is being developed on his blog. We managed to find the link and we are sharing the video here.
Japan Eyes F-15 Upgrade, Stealth Jets
Japan has decided to spend 112 billion yen to upgrade 32 F-15 fighter jets and 15.7 billion yen to research on a stealth fighter.
Japan may develop fighters after U.S. rebuff: report
According to Kyodo news agency on Wednesday, Japan's Defence Ministry is seeking 15.7 billion yen ($138 million) for research and development into the possibility of building fighter jets in Japan. The request is part of a total budget request of 4,817.2 billion yen for fiscal 2008.
Japan Chooses An Offense
Aviation Week has more details on Japan's plans to delay retiring the F-4EJ and upgrade the F-15J's radar to the APG-63(v)3 while it waits for the F-22 to be available.
U.S. bill puts F-22 Raptor out of reach
Japan could delay phasing out its F-4EJ fleet from 2008 after the U.S. House Appropriations Committee on Wednesday reaffirmed a ban on the export of F-22 stealth fighters. Yomiuri Shimbun reports that this has forced the Japanese Defense Ministry to postpone purchase of next-generation military transport planes in 2008 as they redirect their efforts to upgrading the F-15 fleet.
Japanese officials say they will not rule out buying fighters from a third country.
U.S. House panel keeps ban on export of F-22A fighter
The U.S. House of Representatives Appropriations Committee on Wednesday nixed a plan to remove a clause that bars the sale of F-22 stealth fighters to Japan. Despite the setback, the U.S. State Department said Washington is willing to help Japan select a replacement for its F-4EJ, in service since 1971.
U.S. PACOM Chief Opposes Selling F-22 to Japan
Adm. Timothy Keating, commander, U.S. Pacific Command, has voiced his opposition to sell the F-22A Raptor to Japan. He passed his recommendations to a new U.S. "capabilities assessment group" -— composed of Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps, Office of the Secretary of Defense and industry officials -— which will do a comprehensive review of Japan's fighter requirements.
Japanese govt plans to make prototype stealth fighter - report
Yomiuri Shimbun reported Tuesday that Tokyo plans to a prototype of a next-generation stealth fighter aircraft, the first new fighter designed in Japan for 30 years. The newspaper quoted unidentified officials in the defense ministry as saying the ministry would include funds to develop the manned prototype in its budgetary request for the fiscal year ending March 2009.
U.S. F-22 sale could hinge on security trust
A report by the U.S. Congressional Research Service has misgivings on the export of F-22 stealth fighters to Japan. The report cites the recent leak involving highly classified data on the Aegis defense system by Self-Defense Forces' personnel as an example of the potential danger.
Abe seeks info on U.S. F-22A fighter
Japanese and U.S. sources said Friday that Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe asked U.S. President George W. Bush during their summit in April for the U.S. to provide information on the F-22 stealth fighter.
BAE in talks with Mitsubishi
BAE Systems is in discussions with Japan's Mitsubishi Heavy to license the manufacturing of the Eurofighter if it wins the FX competition. Nigel Whitehead, group managing director of BAE's military air solutions, said BAE is in discussions with Mitsubishi Heavy (MHI) about a progressive license manufacturing agreement.
"The idea is that we would transfer the ability to manufacture the aircraft to [Mitsubishi] and they could have the ability to upgrade and develop the aircraft themselves."
Japan to decide whether to buy F-22 Raptor next year
Hidehiro Ikematsu, principal deputy director at the Japanese Defense Ministry's international policy planning division, told South Korean reporters that Japan intends to select the replacement for its aging F-4EJ Phantom fighter jets by the end of next year. Ikematsu said Japan still hopes to buy the F-22 stealth fighter but Tokyo has left the door opened for alternatives like the Typhoon or the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.
F-22 delay
Pro-China officials in the National Security Council and Pentagon are quietly undermining Japan's request to buy 50 F-22s. They fear the sale would upset China.
Japan is urged to consider F-35 jets
Kenneth Krieg, the U.S. under-secretary of defence for acquisition, technology and logistics, told the Financial Times that Japan should consider the F-35 instead of the F-22 for its fighter needs. "I have supported the position that says the fifth-generation aircraft for an export market . . . is the Joint Strike Fighter and not the F-22," Krieg said.
Japan vows to prevent data leak, asks U.S. for info on F-22A fighter
Japanese Defense Minister Fumio Kyuma has asked U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates for the Pentagon to release information on the F-22. However, Gates responded cautiously to the request and was quoted by Kyuma as saying that it would also depend on Congress, which opposes the export.
U.S. arms-sale chief discounts F-22 sale to Japan
Lt. Gen. Jeffrey Kohler, head of the Pentagon's Defense Security Cooperation Agency, said an export version of the F-22 could be "prohibitively expensive" for any would-be foreign buyer. "If (export) were to be considered, which it's not, it essentially would have to be redesigned, rebuilt, retested and then go into production," Kohler said.
U.S. May Lift Ban on F-22 Exports to Japan
Dennis Wilder, Director for East Asia at the U.S. National Security Council, told reporters on Wednesday that the U.S. government is positively considering Japan's offer to purchase F-22. He said, “The U.S. is very positively disposed to talk with Japan about the future-generation fighter aircraft.”
Stealth debate precedes Abe US visit
The JASDF is urging Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to ask U.S. President George W. Bush to lift the export ban of the F-22 when he visits Washington. However some Japanese officials doubt the issue will be discussed.
Japanese Defense Minister, Fumio Kyuma, is expected to raise the issue when he visits Washington next week.
Japan eyes buying U.S. F-22A, F-15FX fighters
Kyodo News is reporting that Tokyo will buy the F-15FX first while waiting for the F-22 export ban to be lifted later. The two stage exercise will be carried out in fiscal 2009 to replace Japan's F-4EJ.
F-22 attractive to Japan as missile threats grow
Aviation Week reports that Japan is quietly and firmly making it known to Washington to release the F-22 for its F-X competition. They see the F-22 with its AESA radar for cruise missile detection and wideband data links as the only available option to combat the increasing missile threat from the region.
BAE in battle for $15bn fighter orders from India and Japan
BAE Systems has step up efforts to sell the Eurofighter to India and Japan. Japanese officials recently visited BAE's factory at Warton, Lancashire to see a Typhoon demonstration. The Japanese have traditionally bought U.S. military hardware but the ban by the U.S. Congress from buying the F-22 have forced them to look elsewhere for fighters.
Japan narrows next-generation fighter requirement choice
Janes reports that their source in Japan says the Eurofighter is currently the favorite to replace their F-4EJs. Although the same source would not rule out Tokyo asking for the F-22 instead.
Japan considers the Eurofighter
Japan's defence ministry is taking a close look at the Eurofighter as it shops for a new jet to replace its F-4s. People familiar with the negotiations said a decision could be made in six months but military analysts said it could be a ploy to press the U.S. on price and access to highly sensitive technology.
Japan starts hunt for fighter replacement
Request for Information from Japan’s Air Self-Defence Force have been sent to France, the U.K. and the United States on new fighters to replace 91 Mitsubishi/McDonnell Douglas F-4EJ Kais from 2010. The candidates are : Boeing F-15FX and F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, Dassault Rafale, Eurofighter Typhoon and Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor and F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.
The frontrunner is Boeing as both of its fighters can be field in 2010. The Europeans will have to convince the Japanese government to buy a European fighter for the first time.
Boeing looks to Asia for military bookings boost
Jim Albaugh, Boeing Integrated Defence Systems chief, is looking at the Asian fighter market to increase its revenue. India, Japan and South Korea are possible markets with the F/A-18 in competition in India and interest in the F-15 and F/A-18 in Japan.
Agency seeks foreign fighter jets to replace F-4s
Japan has abandoned plans to develop its own fighter jets and will instead select foreign aircraft to replace its F-4s. Six types of aircraft from the United States and Europe has been selected as candidates. They are the F/A-22, F-35, F-15E, F/A-18 and the Eurofighter. Most probably the other candidate is the Rafale.
The Defense Agency had planned to develop domestic fighters based on its F-2, but a flaw in its radar system scuttled that plan.
|
Digg it