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

Japan's Cabinet approved a record defense budget Friday that includes a number of American stealth fighter jets as well as funding to research potentially developing its own fighter jet program.

The 5.31 trillion yen ($48.6 billion) defense budget for fiscal 2020 still needs parliamentary approval, but would be a 1.1% increase from the current year. Japan's defense spending has risen for seven consecutive years by a total of 13% since 2013, a year after Prime Minister Shinzo Abe took office, as the government looks to increase its defense posture amid threats from China and North Korea.

Among the most costly purchases in the draft are Lockheed Martin Corp.'s F-35 stealth fighters. Under the 2020 budget plan, Japan is to buy six F-35B stealth fighter jets capable of short takeoff and vertical landing at a cost of 79.3 billion yen ($725 million). Those six are the first of 42 F-35Bs Japan plans to acquire in coming years.

[...]

Source: https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/japa ... chr_syc_hp

Japan's Cabinet approved a record defense budget Friday that includes a number of American stealth fighter jets as well as funding to research potentially developing its own fighter jet program.

The 5.31 trillion yen ($48.6 billion) defense budget for fiscal 2020 still needs parliamentary approval, but would be a 1.1% increase from the current year. Japan's defense spending has risen for seven consecutive years by a total of 13% since 2013, a year after Prime Minister Shinzo Abe took office, as the government looks to increase its defense posture amid threats from China and North Korea.

Among the most costly purchases in the draft are Lockheed Martin Corp.'s F-35 stealth fighters. Under the 2020 budget plan, Japan is to buy six F-35B stealth fighter jets capable of short takeoff and vertical landing at a cost of 79.3 billion yen ($725 million). Those six are the first of 42 F-35Bs Japan plans to acquire in coming years.

[...]

Source: https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/japa ... chr_syc_hp

Doesn't say how many F-35A's they will acquire during the same period??? Also, while Japan is still going to produce F-35's at Nagoya. Does that include both F-35"A and F-35B's??? If, not I would assume the latter will be produced in the US...

http://www.asagumo-news.com/homepage/ht ... 10603.html

2020/01/06

Interview with three JASDF senior officers, at Misawa AB, Aomori Prefecture.

- Morikawa Ryuusuke, 41st commander of Hokubu Koukuu Houmentai [Northern Air Defense Force], JASDF, from 2018/12/20 to 2019/12/19.

- Kubota Takahiro, commander of 3rd Koukuudan, JASDF.

- Lieutenant Colonel Nakano Yoshito, commander of 302nd Hikoutai, JASDF.

2019 March, first F-35A squadron, 302nd Hikoutai, began at Misawa AB.

Kubota:

During fiscal year 2020, second F-35A squadron, 301st Hikoutai, will move from Hyakuri AB, Ibaraki Prefecture, to Misawa AB.

During fiscal year 2020, 3rd Koukuudan will increase to 22 F-35A for two squadrons.
Members will come from F-4, F-15, and F-2 squadrons.

Nakano:

2016 December, he was trained at Luke AFB, Arizona, USA.

2017/02/07, he would fly first flight of JASDF F-35A #701.
Before this, he had simulator training only, and was very nervous at the first real engine start.

Above Arizona, he looked at the wide desert from his single-seat fighter without an instructor as co-pilot, thought he had to land the fighter by himself, and thought he would be all right when he followed his simulator training.

2017 May, he completed the USAF programme, and returned to Japan.

Morikawa:

F-35A introduces network and stealth capabilities that JASDF did not have.

Misawa AB, under Northern Air Defense Force, chosen as the first mother base of F-35A, and has great responsibilities as the basis for future F-35A squadrons that will affect not only Northern Air Defense Force, but all of JASDF and SDF.

Can pilots that begin on the F-35A ever learn to fly less forgiving aircraft?

Can pilots that begin on the F-35A ever learn to fly less forgiving aircraft?

Gums seemed to do alright going from base A-37 thru A-7 to F-16, along with many of his buddies. I have a friend who moved from OV-10's to F-4's fairly well ... and this is also not a new problem. It didn't matter what they flew before, the AV-8/U-2 pilots etc. had a huge step up to fly planes that were not less forgiving but just plain old "unforgiving."

Yeah it is possible.

MHO,
BP

I will add that LM probably has established a "new bar" for FCS / CLAW, and there is no (technical) reason why future tactical aircraft will not be as easy, or easier (if that is possible) to fly than the F-35. (Well, I suppose if a design is chosen for some role and it does not use FBW (or FBL / FBO) and/or a digital flight control system, OR a company just does not have that level of in-house expertise, then a new aircraft may not be as easy to fly as the Stubby.)

Military pilots usually learn to fly in a prop/turboprop then transition to a trainer jet before moving on. In the RAN FAA some did not go to trainer jets but went on to helos then later in the RAN FAA flew the A4G after getting some experience in our 'trainer' the MACCHI MB362H. These 'helo' pilots learnt to fly with the USN in the good ole USofA with most of the helo pilots having flown in Vietnam. They flew the A4G very well indeed. Most helo pilots in the RAN FAA today will have flown in RAAF system, as I did of old in basic/advanced aircraft before moving on. Why do RAN FAA pilots today fly advanced trainer aircraft before helos? So that they gain experience in advanced instrument flying amongst other things.

Yonks ago the RAAF tried training newbies todally in the MACCHI MB326H. This 'all thru jet training' did not go well - graduating pilots were OK but at greater cost/effort than the more usual basic/advanced prop/jet system graduates.

What was the question? "Can pilots that begin on the F-35A ever learn to fly less forgiving aircraft?" Which military aircraft is unforgiving. I guess you mean 'easy to fly' but then they have 'other things to worry about' don't they? That is the point of the 'easy to fly' F-35 from pilot comments generally. The BIG EASY allows them to think of different things TODALLY.

Having trained a whole of folks in a number of different generations of aircraft, both mil and civ, the ones that are pretty good on the way up (increasing tech improvements), are also pretty good on the way down (decreasing tech 'crutches').

The ones that are not so good on the way up, are generally even worse on the way down.

Having trained a whole of folks in a number of different generations of aircraft, both mil and civ, the ones that are pretty good on the way up (increasing tech improvements), are also pretty good on the way down (decreasing tech 'crutches').

The ones that are not so good on the way up, are generally even worse on the way down.

Amen. God didn’t create all pilots equal when it comes to flying machines.

OK he was talkin' 'bout pilotes. Reminds me of this cartoonie. 'One size fits all' means some have to GROW INTO IT.

Monday, 9 March 2020:
RF-4E.
47-6901. #901.
57-6903. #903.
57-6909. #909. MSN 4616.
Teisatsu Koukuutai, JASDF, based at Hyakuri AB, Ibaraki Prefecture.

Final training flight, and ceremony.

Pilot: Lieutenant Colonel Okada Tomomitsu.
Commander, 501st Hikoutai, JASDF.

1961/12/01, Teisatsu Koukuutai began, at Matsushima AB, Miyagi Prefecture.

1974/12, from Iruma AB, Dasaitama Prefecture, moved to Hyakuri AB.

2019/05/14, JASDF advertised 47-6905 and 57-6909 had special paintings.

Current fiscal year, disband.

After final flight, RF-4 doused by water.

During ceremony, RF-4 doused by wine.

After ceremony, pilots who would retire, or would transfer to other squadrons, traditionally doused by buckets of water.

http://www.asagumo-news.com/homepage/ht ... 31801.html

Recon mission will pass to F-35A of 3rd Koukuudan, at Misawa AB, Aomori Prefecture, and to Global Hawk squadron scheduled in late fiscal year Reiwa 2 [2020].

https://www.asahi.com/articles/ASN3972PVN39UJHB003.html
https://flyteam.jp/registration/57-6909
https://flyteam.jp/registration/57-6909 ... cle/110075
https://theaviationist.com/2020/03/09/j ... st-flight/

JASDF F-35 shows many vortexes in an instantaneous turns. wow
@5:40~
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sdnuFyHxG5c

Having trained a whole of folks in a number of different generations of aircraft, both mil and civ, the ones that are pretty good on the way up (increasing tech improvements), are also pretty good on the way down (decreasing tech 'crutches').

The ones that are not so good on the way up, are generally even worse on the way down.

Amen. God didn’t create all pilots equal when it comes to flying machines.

And so... why is this point not showing up in foreign competitions? If the F-35's software is so good at taking brand spanking new/marginal pilots and making them efficient killing machines, why don't we hear more about it?

If you're evaluating the Advanced F-15, F-16V or ASH along with the F-35, I'd think you'd want to know something like that. Alternatively (and preferably), why doesn't LM more aggressively push that fact? Or perhaps they do, and I'm unaware??

We often hear how it's the pilot that'll determine who lives/dies in combat. Well, if the F-35 can in fact turn marginal folk into multi-sortie killers.... we need to make that known.

Having trained a whole of folks in a number of different generations of aircraft, both mil and civ, the ones that are pretty good on the way up (increasing tech improvements), are also pretty good on the way down (decreasing tech 'crutches').

The ones that are not so good on the way up, are generally even worse on the way down.

Amen. God didn’t create all pilots equal when it comes to flying machines.

And so... why is this point not showing up in foreign competitions? If the F-35's software is so good at taking brand spanking new/marginal pilots and making them efficient killing machines, why don't we hear more about it?

If you're evaluating the Advanced F-15, F-16V or ASH along with the F-35, I'd think you'd want to know something like that. Alternatively (and preferably), why doesn't LM more aggressively push that fact? Or perhaps they do, and I'm unaware??

We often hear how it's the pilot that'll determine who lives/dies in combat. Well, if the F-35 can in fact turn marginal folk into multi-sortie killers.... we need to make that known.

it is known. Thats a part of buying any fighter a Generation ahead of the current generation.




The notion of the improved machine is to lessen the burden on man