JASDF may be in the market for more F-35s

[spazsinbad]

'Corsair1963' said: "Now the question is will Japan acquire additional Osprey's to operate in the AEW&C, Tanker, and/or COD roles from the Izumo???"

The ships/aircraft are 'defenders' with small islands to operate from so I'm guessing a lot of those assets are not needed.

[weasel1962]

Someone didn't get the memo that Japan already bought the V-22 "helicopters".... sorry, hovercraft.........must have been at gunpoint to extend the Boeing production line, if some are to be believed.

[spazsinbad]

This whole 'not calling a spade a spade' is just too much for this human unit.

[Corsair1963]

Seems like a “frivolous waste of time” to me....

[weasel1962]

:mrgreen: This whole 'not calling a spade a spade' is just too much for this human unit.

At least we can tell its a CV, F-35 or V-22 by looking at it, regardless of what its called. If you think its bad, pity the poor brits who have to digest the BS known as brexit. Can anyone explain what that is all about?

[hythelday]

:mrgreen: This whole 'not calling a spade a spade' is just too much for this human unit.

At least we can tell its a CV, F-35 or V-22 by looking at it, regardless of what its called. If you think its bad, pity the poor brits who have to digest the BS known as brexit. Can anyone explain what that is all about?

It's about something completely irrelevant both regarding JASDF, F-35 and military air in general. Don't bring this up lest this turns into "Tyndall AB and bad weather" type of disaster thread.

[Gamera]

Monday, 26 November 2018:
F-35A.
89-8710. AX-10.
Temporary F-35A Squadron, JASDF, based at Misawa AB, Aomori Prefecture.

Afternoon, took off, at Komaki AB, Aichi Prefecture.
15:18, landed, at Misawa AB.

10th of 10 JASDF F-35A scheduled in fiscal year 2018.
Before fiscal year 2018 end, Temporary F-35A Squadron will rename 302nd Hikoutai.

Two of six F-35A scheduled in fiscal year 2019, may arrive at Misawa AB early.
During fiscal year 2018, Misawa AB may have 12 F-35A.

2018 January, one F-35A arrived at Misawa AB.
Up to May, five.
June to August, one each.
November, one.

http://www.f-16.net/aircraft-database/F ... file/9216/

F-35 Aircraft Database

Airframe Details for F-35 #AX-10

JASDF
89-8710
F-35A

https://headlines.yahoo.co.jp/hl?a=2018 ... tohoku-l02
https://headlines.yahoo.co.jp/hl?a=2018 ... 2.view-000

[spazsinbad]

OLD story now but has some reinforcement to the idea that IZUMO more easily upgraded even with a ski jump perhaps.

Officials Admit Japan's 'Helicopter Destroyers' Were Also Designed For Jets
27 Feb 2018 Tyler Rogoway

"Japanese Ministry of Defense executives have outright admitted that despite the Japanese government's past denials that the Izumo class "helicopter destroyers" were not designed to accommodate fixed-wing short takeoff and vertical landing (STOVL) tactical jets, they actually were designed with exactly that in mind....

The Asahi Shimbun quoted Maritime Self Defense Force sources stating the following:

“It is only reasonable to design (the Izumo) with the prospect of possible changes of the circumstances in the decades ahead... We viewed that whether the Izumo should be actually refitted could be decided by the government.”

...Asahi Shimbun's sources went on to say that a consensus was privately reached among the service's leadership that the Izumo class would be designed for conversion into a fixed-wing capable aircraft carrier in the future but the Japanese government would deny this due to the issues surrounding violating Article Nine of the Japanese constitution....

...The article goes on to outline that the class's hangar and elevators were built to dimensions that could accommodate the F-35B and the MV-22 Osprey—Japan already has MV-22s on order. Even the class's flight deck can supposedly withstand the heat and pressure generated by the F-35's scorching exhaust. The official also says the carriers' deck would likely be modified with a ski-jump if the F-35B were acquired...."

Photo: http://imagesvc.timeincapp.com/v3/found ... ajad92.jpg

Source: http://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/18 ... d-for-jets

[spazsinbad]

This is a new one. It will now be called a multipurpose "mother ship", not an aircraft carrier.

https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2018/ ... ther-ship/

Coming up next....F-35B GBUs will now be renamed as "postal articles". Very heavy postal articles....

The recipients will be stamped "out" and will be guaranteed to get the message.

VIA E-mail: From someone who reads/speaksJapanese.... [MOTHER is code for 'HOME the launch/arrest carrier in NavAv']

"Written Japanese for 'aircraft carrier' combines the characters for 'sky' and 'mother'."

[lbk000]

Well, for example I know in Chinese the term for carrier is literally written out as "Aviation (航空) Mothership (母舰)".

Likewise if the Japanese use similar phrasing and chose to replace "aviation" with "multipurpose" I can see it liable to draw emphasis to the "mothership" component, interpreted literally by a slightly hostile reporter, and then further misconstrued by an alien audience.
For all we know the intended (and natively understood) meaning is likely a much more mundane "Multirole Carrier".

Granted, politicians love playing word games, and in Asian cultures doubly so, but we should take care that we're not seeing what we wish to see here.

[spazsinbad]

JAPAN AEROSPACE: Tokyo eyeing 100 more F-35s - report
28 Nov 2018 Greg Waldron

"...The first aircraft produced by Mitsubishi, AX-5, was sent to the USA for tests. It is now in service at the F-35 training school at Luke AFB, Arizona. So far, 10 examples have been delivered to the Japan Air Self Defense Force (JASDF), of which six have been produced at MHI’s Nagoya final assembly line.

Malone says the JASDF is expected to have 18 qualified F-35 pilots by February, and 180 maintainers. Also, six F-35 simulators will be in Japan by the first quarter 2019, allowing for the local training of pilots."

Source: https://www.flightglobal.com/news/artic ... po-453971/

[spazsinbad]

Japan prepares to stand up first F-35 operational unit
28 Nov 2018 Mike Yeo

"TOKYO — Japan has graduated its first locally trained class of five F-35 pilots and is on track to make its first unit operational, according to a senior official with Japan’s F-35 program. Joel Malone told Defense News at the Japan International Aerospace Exhibition in Tokyo that the Japan Air Self-Defense Force is continuing to train more pilots, maintainers and other support personnel on the Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter.

F-35 jets with the JASDF are assigned to the Rinji F-35 Hkoutai, a temporary JASDF unit. Following the training of five more pilots and the delivery of more F-35s, the aircraft will be transferred to the JASDF’s 302 Hikoutai, which will retire its McDonnell Douglas/Mistubishi F-4EJ Kai Phantom IIs and move from Hyakuri, north of Tokyo, to Misawa in March 2019.

Japan initially trained a cadre of F-35 pilots and personnel with the 944th Operations Group and four of the JASDF’s aircraft at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona. The Japanese F-35s spent 18 months training at Luke AFB before returning earlier this year to Misawa, located at the northern part of Japan’s main island of Honshu...."

Source: https://www.defensenews.com/digital-sho ... onal-unit/

[weasel1962]

Posted this 6 years back on CDF.

Potential F-35A airbases for aggressor to suppress in the Okinawa island chain
Airport Runway details Coordinates Deployment Distance to Taiwan
Kadena 2 runway 3,688m long, 61m/91m wide, 44m high 26021'06"N , 127046'10"E Multiple 625 km to Keelung
Naha 1 runway 3,000m long, 3m high, class II 26011'45"N , 127038'45"E Multiple 617 km to Keelung
Futenma 1 runway 2,740m long, 45m wide, 75m high 26016'15"N , 127044'53"E Multiple 625 km to Keelung

Add the below for F-35B airbases.
Table: runways sorted by distance to Taiwan
Airport Runway details Coordinates Apron size Deployment Distance to Taiwan
Yonaguni 1 runway 2,000m long, 45m wide, class C 24028'03"N, 122058'47"E 10,200 m2 sqn size 150km to Keelung
Hateruma 1 runway 1,500m long, 45m wide, class H 24003'30"N , 123048'14"E 22,038 m2 sqn size 242km to Keelung
Ishigaki 1 runway 1,500m long, 45m wide, class D 24020'41"N , 124011'13"E 22,038 m2 sqn size 267km to Keelung
Tarama 1 runway 1,500m long, 45m wide, class D 24038'13.7"N, 124040'31.6"E 7,700 m2 sqn size 313km to Keelung
Shimojishima 1 runway 3,000m long, 30m wide, class A 24049'36"N, 125008'41"E 129,200 m2 Multiple sqn 350km to Keelung
Hirara 1 runway 2,000m long, 45m wide, 149 ft high, class C 24046'58"N , 127017'42"E 27,500 m2 sqn size 367km to Keelung
Kumejima 1 runway 2,000m long, 45m wide, class C 26021'49"N, 126042'50"E 19,800 m2 sqn size 533km to Keelung
Kerama 1 runway 800m long, 25m wide, class H 26010'06"N , 127017'36"E 3,000 m2 1/2 sqn size 579km to Keelung
Aguni 1 runway 800m long, 25m wide, class H 26035'34"N , 127014'25"E 2,000 m2 1/2 sqn size 583km to Keelung
Iejima 1 runway 1,500m long, 45m wide, class D 26043'21"N , 127047'13"E 7,700 m2 sqn size 642km to Keelung
Yoron 1 runway 1,200m long, 14m high 27002'38"N , 128024'06"E ~8,500 m2 sqn size 717km to Keelung
Okinoerabu 1 runway 1,350m long, 27m high 27025'54"N , 128042'20"E ~12,000 m2 sqn size 754km to Keelung
Tokunoshima 1 runway 2,000m long, 2m high 27050'11"N , 128052'53"E ~10,800 m2 sqn size 792km to Keelung

Not counting AM-2 (or similar) runways besides DDHs...

Clearly Japan is buying into F-35B distributed ops.

[spazsinbad]

Thanks for the info repeat? Without me tediously looking via Google Earth at all those co-ordinates my question is: Are small Japanese islands included in that list. My general knowledge of Japanese environment is very poor indeed.

As a general question where would Japanese AM-2 matting runways be located or co-located. Distributed STOVL Ops.

[weasel1962]

Yes they are. Give me a few minutes and I'll upload a nice google pic...



Above are already existing runways in use.
AM-2 runway = anywhere there's a few hundred metres of flat load-bearing land.