Japan Military News, Reports, Data, etc.

Have always wondered why US refuses to sell F-22 to Japan yet embraces it with regard to BM defence. Certainly gives credence to some claims even in Japan of the effectiveness of the system & that US is just getting Japan to foot some of the bills again.

crobato said:

New AIP class. The one above may be the Oyashio II, this maybe the real Soryu.

Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!

Click to expand...

I am surprise Japan is still displaying the Rising Sun flag. And I believe Soryu is the name of one of the aircraft carriers that took part in the Dec. 7, 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor.
Maybe this is the real reason why the US refuses to sell the F-22 to Japan.

youtube video on Japanese stealth fighter prototype. Its outward appearance resembles the F-22. On closer examination, the mockup looks like it's made entirely of composite materials.(I think the F-22 is only 25% composites) Since Japan is one of the early pioneer in AESA radar technology(1989), this plane should be equipped with an advance AESA radar as well.


originally posted by me @ keypublishing.co.uk

coolieno99 said:

Maybe this is the real reason why the US refuses to sell the F-22 to Japan.

Click to expand...

The US couldn't care less about the flag. It doesn't want to sell the Raptor because it's nervous about anyone getting their hands on it, even allies, because of the potential for the tech to get sold on.

coolieno99 said:

I am surprise Japan is still displaying the Rising Sun flag. And I believe Soryu is the name of one of the aircraft carriers that took part in the Dec. 7, 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor.
Maybe this is the real reason why the US refuses to sell the F-22 to Japan.

Click to expand...

I wouldn't be surprised if WW2 still affects US's decision making with regard to ties with Japan. The degree of such effects is anyone's guess.
I think their refusal to sell F-22 is just what they claim ie to prevent tech leaks & the simple fact that they know Japan can't do much except wait for export approval.
This is contrary to the BM defence system, which I think they need Japan to share the financial risks on an expensive systems with still many question marks.

coolieno99 said:

youtube video on Japanese stealth fighter prototype. Its outward appearance resembles the F-22. On closer examination, the mockup looks like it's made entirely of composite materials.(I think the F-22 is only 25% composites) Since Japan is one of the early pioneer in AESA radar technology(1989), this plane should be equipped with an advance AESA radar as well.

Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!

originally posted by me @ keypublishing.co.uk

Click to expand...

Any mockup is entirely made of wood and fiberglass.

AESA is a natural.

Like I said before, it would take a long amount of time for such a fighter to come to fruition. You need short term measures before that. Upgrading F-15s or buying new F-15s (similar in spec to the ones Singapore and S. Korea is buying) would be a logical step.

apparently the problems with the F-2 AESA radar have been fixed.

According to Lt. Gen. Thomas Waskow, the F-2's radar "has three times the range of a conventional antenna."

USFJ Commander takes a spin in Japan's new F-2 fighter

Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!

If the F-2's radar has three times the range of the rader of the American F-16, the performance of the F-2's radar is acceptable.

Note that the update program to improve the F-2's radar is scheduled to complete in FY2008.

Credit: ishikawa @ keypublishing.co.uk

Click to expand...

I've read that F-2 turned out to be much more expensive than F-16 while not much more capable.
I wonder if Japan will have much tech independence from US with this new stealth fighter.
It may turn out to subsidize some of US's stealth projects while having an end product significantly less capable than F-22.

originally posted by me at keypublishing.uk.co
Daichi(surveillance satellite) SAR radar is supposely based on AESA technology.

SAR image of Mt. Fuji taken at night by Daichi ALOS satellite. Distance from satellite to object is about 1000 km (600 miles). Scanned at off-nadir(41.5 degree), or not directly overhead, producing a 3-d view. Feb.15, 2006.

Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!

Source: jaxa.jp

Click to expand...

Schumacher said:

I've read that F-2 turned out to be much more expensive than F-16 while not much more capable.
I wonder if Japan will have much tech independence from US with this new stealth fighter.
It may turn out to subsidize some of US's stealth projects while having an end product significantly less capable than F-22.

Click to expand...

The original FSX fighter project in the late 80's was squashed by the US govt. It was a canard-delta winged design, that Japan claimed it has about 1/3 the turning radius of the F-16. So in the end, Japan just make a copy of the F-16 to placate the US.
I don't know if the US govt would let Japan build a 5th(or even 6th) generation fighter. If the US don't do anything, I wouldn't be surprise if Japan built a fighter that would trump the F-22. And that including AESA radar based on Gallium Nitride technology instead of the current Gallium Arsenide technology. Japan is considered one of the leaders in both GaAs and GaN tech. As far as advance composites is concerned, Lockheed-Martin(maker of F-22) "borrowed" composite technology from Japan in the early 90's.