A report by Japan’s Board of Audit says the local assembly of F-35As by a consortium lead by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries is running behind schedule.
IHI Corp. and Mitsubishi Electric Corp. are tasked with engine and radar components assembly but both companies have yet to sign parts production subcontracts with the original equipment manufacturers.
The board added that checks by the Defense Ministry’s Acquisition, Technology and Logistics Agency found the local companies’ manufacturing processes to be lacking.