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

Corsair1963 · by **Corsair1963** » 23 Apr 2019, 01:41

spazsinbad wrote:
zerion wrote:Japan Mulls Fighter Consolidation As LM Offers F-35 Code
http://aviationweek.com/awindefense/jap ... -f-35-code

NO SUBSCRIPT SO ONLY THIS available at moment....
Japan Mulls Fighter Consolidation As LM Offers F-35 Code
22 Apr 2019 Bradley Perrett

"BEIJING—Japanese industry is discussing the creation of a joint company for fighter development while the U.S. is reportedly offering to share source code from the F-35 for Tokyo’s next combat [aircraft project?]…" [YEAH RIGHT - as IF]

Source: https://aviationweek.com/awindefense/ja ... -f-35-code

Creating a Joint US/Japanese Company for Fighter Development???

spazsinbad · by **spazsinbad** » 23 Apr 2019, 01:53

Corsair1963 wrote:
spazsinbad wrote:
zerion wrote:Japan Mulls Fighter Consolidation As LM Offers F-35 Code
http://aviationweek.com/awindefense/jap ... -f-35-code

NO SUBSCRIPT SO ONLY THIS available at moment....
Japan Mulls Fighter Consolidation As LM Offers F-35 Code
22 Apr 2019 Bradley Perrett
"BEIJING—Japanese industry is discussing the creation of a joint company for fighter development while the U.S. is reportedly offering to share source code from the F-35 for Tokyo’s next combat [aircraft project?]…" [YEAH RIGHT - as IF]
Source: https://aviationweek.com/awindefense/ja ... -f-35-code

Creating a Joint US/Japanese Company for Fighter Development???

Have not LM already offered to make a HYBRID F-35/F-22 or somesuch similar for/with JAPAN - but Japan rejected it?

Corsair1963 · by **Corsair1963** » 23 Apr 2019, 02:26

spazsinbad wrote:
Have not LM already offered to make a HYBRID F-35/F-22 or somesuch similar for/with JAPAN - but Japan rejected it?

Japan did in fact reject the proposed Hybrid F-22/F-35. My guess is this is a future 6th Generation Fighter.....

zerion · by **zerion** » 25 Apr 2019, 01:28

Looks like The Drive picked it up.

https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/2 ... sal-report

Corsair1963 · by **Corsair1963** » 25 Apr 2019, 06:42

zerion wrote:Looks like The Drive picked it up.

https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/2 ... sal-report

Japan is just kicking the ball around and floating ideas......(thinking out loud)

pron · by **pron** » 27 May 2019, 16:32

Trump announces Japan’s purchase of 105 new F-35 stealth aircraft.
Mr Trump, in Tokyo for a state visit, said Japan “has just announced its intent to purchase 105 brand new F-35 stealth aircraft… This purchase would give Japan the largest F-35 fleet of any US ally”.
https://defence-blog.com/news/trump-ann ... craft.html

Corsair1963 · by **Corsair1963** » 28 May 2019, 02:37

pron wrote:Trump announces Japan’s purchase of 105 new F-35 stealth aircraft.
Mr Trump, in Tokyo for a state visit, said Japan “has just announced its intent to purchase 105 brand new F-35 stealth aircraft… This purchase would give Japan the largest F-35 fleet of any US ally”.
https://defence-blog.com/news/trump-ann ... craft.html

This was announced sometime ago. Which, combined with the earlier order of 42 F-35's. Means Japan has committed to ~ 147 F-35's. (A's and B's)

zerion · by **zerion** » 29 Jul 2019, 19:48

Long article best read there.

Japan wants to be an official F-35 partner. The Pentagon plans to say no
By: Aaron Mehta , Valerie Insinna , and Mike Yeo 3 hours ago

WASHINGTON and MELBOURNE, Australia — Japan has formally expressed interest in joining the F-35 program as a full partner, but the Pentagon plans to shoot down that request, Defense News has learned.

Sources say Japan’s request to join the partnership creates major political headaches for the Pentagon, with fears it would cause new tensions among the international production base for the joint strike fighter and open the door for other customer nations to demand a greater role in future capability development.

In a June 18 letter from Japan’s Ministry of Defense to Pentagon acquisition head Ellen Lord, obtained by Defense News, Atsuo Suzuki, director general for the Bureau of Defense Buildup Planning, formally requests information on how Japan could move from being a customer of the F-35 to a full-fledged member of the industrial base consortium.

“I believe becoming a partner country in F-35 program is an option,” the letter reads. “I would like to have your thoughts on whether or not Japan has a possibility to be a partner country in the first place. Also, I would like you to provide the Ministry of Defense with detailed information about the responsibilities and rights of a partner country, as well as cost sharing and conditions such as the approval process and the required period.”

“We would like to make a final decision whether we could proceed to become a partner country by thoroughly examining the rights and obligations associated with becoming a partner country based on the terms and conditions you would provide,” the letter concludes.

Lord, the Pentagon acquisition head, is scheduled to meet with Japanese officials this week, and the question of membership is expected to come up. But Tokyo won’t like the answer.

Although Lord’s office will be responsible for carrying the final message to Japan, the F-35 Joint Program Office told Defense News that the partnership remains limited to the initial wave of F-35 investors.

“The F-35 cooperative Partnership closed on 15 July 2002,” stated Brandi Schiff, a spokesperson for the F-35 JPO...

https://www.defensenews.com/global/asia ... to-say-no/

marauder2048 · by **marauder2048** » 30 Jul 2019, 04:26

An entire piece that misses a major point: the partners make money off of F-35 sales to non-partner nations
e.g. Japan which is going to be buying more regardless.

And now that share of the profits is better for each partner with Turkey gone.

spazsinbad · by **spazsinbad** » 31 Jul 2019, 02:19

But BUTT how do the defspirallers explain this development: Japan wants to make the DUD F-35 better? :roll:

Come on.

Corsair1963 · by **Corsair1963** » 31 Jul 2019, 02:27

Maybe Japan looking to continue production of the F-35 at the Final Assembly and Check Out (FACO) facility in Nagoya??? If, it could secure a share of the program....

mixelflick · by **mixelflick** » 31 Jul 2019, 12:27

Whatever they do, Japan needs F-35's fast.

Since they were denied the F-22, their once cutting edge air force is now way behind China's. Their F-15's and F-2's are not exactly slouches, but won't last long vs. China's SU-35's, J-11D's and J-10B's/C's. Much like the USAF, resting on their laurels got them nowhere fast. To be fair, there wasn't much they could do with the F-22 out of the picture. And its doubtful they can afford the F-22/35 hybrid being pitched to them.

The F-35 will restore a qualitative (if not quantitative) advantage. Plus, having that many F-35's on the Korean penninsula will go a long way toward deterrence. They have both Russia and China to contend with (along with N. Korea), and they'll need every one of their F-35A's/B's to contend with them.

spazsinbad · by **spazsinbad** » 17 Aug 2019, 01:22

Japan to purchase 42 F-35B fighter jets from US
17 Aug 2019 NHKworld

"Japan's defense ministry has formally decided to purchase state-of-the-art F-35B stealth fighter jets from the United States.

Completing a selection process that began in March, the defense ministry announced on Friday its decision to buy 42 of Lockheed Martin's F-35B fighter jets at cost of about 130 million dollars for each aircraft.

The ministry said the aircraft has all of the necessary capabilities, including flight performance.

The ministry plans to upgrade the Maritime Defense-Force destroyer Izumo and use it as an aircraft carrier for the F-35B aircraft...."

Source: https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20190817_01/

zerion · by **zerion** » 18 Aug 2019, 22:46

Similar story on Naval News
https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/20 ... -aircraft/
But included info on Izumo modifications including images of ship with modifications.

...However a Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF) standing nearby joined the conversation and said that, in his opinion, “the F-35B would be owned and flown by the ASDF because the MSDF doesn’t operate fast jets”. Yesterday’s statement from the MoD seems to confirm this early information because it mentions “ASDF requirements”...

spazsinbad · by **spazsinbad** » 19 Aug 2019, 01:35

Page 12 this thread has same graphic - wot I made from: viewtopic.php?f=58&t=24808&p=406743&hilit=Izumo#p406743