Japanese next gen. fighter?

Japan has been saying they has been developing a new fighter as F-22 for a long time. Now I got this picture was said Japanese use it to test RCS. Who has more information?

Japans next fighter will either be a buy of F-22's or an indegenous development of an existing design (ie my Japanese Typhoon thread for example). Japan does not have the capacity or budget to develop an 'F-22' of its own, given that its most advanced indegenous design is on a par with the Jaguar, the leap is just too great.

Waynos, allow my to argue your point...
Do You agree on:
1)Japan has the ability to produce/copy unstable aerodynamics
2)Japan can produce FBW systems (F2 has one, only thing needed modifying it to a new airframe)
3)Japan does have the computer cabability to produce Stealth desings
4)Japan can produce indigenious engines
5)Japan can produce indigenious avionics


What more do you need?

I do agree that there may be budget constraints, but if they feel a need to show of their neighbours who's the Boss in Asia, They could pull it... And Mega Corporations like Mitshubishi do have the facilities to desing and build something like this...

if they do have the capabillity then why are they linked with the eurofighter and the f-22. why dont they just build there own?

justin

[edit on 26-5-2006 by justin_barton3]

All your five points are correct, however doing all five at the same time is something else. Why else do you think the F-2 was based on the F-16? Especially given that the Mitsubishi F-1CCV was around at the same time as the F-16CCV in America and the ACT Jaguar in the UK. It wasn't lack of ability on the technical side that made Japan scrap the indegenous FS-X and go with Lockheed, look at how many modern fighters are collaborative ventures, building something like this is a very big deal indeed.

It's a big deal for a country and from economical point of view foolish, but there are social and psycolocigal things to think of. (employment, national pride)

It wouldn't be overwhelmingly expencive to build a stealth fighter using mainly readily available components mated to an indigenous airframe, 60-70% parts could be used from other designs... and it would ensure the contuniuation of the Japanese Military aviation industry, F22 deal would most likely be fatal to that... Eurofighter would probably be built localy.

Any idea where the pic is from?

You seem to be saying the same as me, that the next fighter will be based on an existing design or a straight buy of the F-22. I thought you were arguing the case for Japan to design its own entirely new fighter as posted by emile. I have no idea where emiles pic is from, I haven't seen it before.

So the Japanese are copying the F-22? Everyone seems to be making thier own ATFs and JSFs recently, The Iranians, Turks and now the Japanese.

No, they're not "copying" the F-22. They're building what is the equivalent of the F-22. This means that it's going to be the most advanced fighter they've built, and will be top of the line for years to come.

When talking about Japan's military capabilities you can't discount politics. Japan is only now emerging from its staunch position of self imposed pacifism in the arena of international affairs since the end of the Second World War. The Japanese are still very self-concious about developing a strong military. One of the reasons Japan works with others is because it breeds a certain amount of reliance on the bigger partner in the colaboration. So Japan couldn't become to independent and unilateral. Yes as mentioned before Japan could develop a next-gen fighter on its own but I don't believe they would do that unless that obsolutely had too.

Is it me or does that thing look like its only about 25 feet long.

Su-34 meets the F-22. Interesting design. It looks almost Russian-ized, but by Japan. Everything seems to look like either the Eurofighter or the F-22. Russia's PAK-FA looks like the F-22, and now this.

Originally posted by Census
Is it me or does that thing look like its only about 25 feet long.

Probably because it's a model. They frequently use them for testing. The F-117 radar testing model was able to be carried and mounted on the test post by two people.

Bets are it's amodel. I mean, it's not shiny. If it were metallic it would be shiny, wouldnt it? Well, more shiny than it is. Even paint is reflective on a lot of aircraft. Looks plasticy anyway.

Doesn't anyone have the same impression like me that it is cgi like that Chinese fighter posted some time ago?

I don't think its cgi as there is no attempt to make it look 'real'. which would surely be the point of a cgi image? It clearly has spacing structure in the canopy area, common to mock ups, and stands on supports. I would say its a genuine 'design and engineering mock up'.

It really doesn't look CG at all. It just looks like an incomplete large scale model. emile, where did you find this photo? How do you know if this is related to a Japanese project? But it looks neat though, where ever it's from.

If you guys remember that compare to a last layout from single engine YF-23, this project actually has been a model not only a layout. Otherwise, this model showed is very close to some layout out of Mcdonnell's but chnage to twin-engine, so you might have already found this model looks to be more conservative so more realistical as my thoghts.

So, exactly which company built this? Mitsubishi? Fuji? Inquiring minds want to know. A lot of comments have been made about whether Japan could afford to produce such an aircraft. I think it could, though not quite to the level of the F-22. Japan has the money and technology to pull it off if they really desired it. After all, on this site I read Germany, on it's own, developed an effective stealth aircraft. No support from the US. Japan has the unique position being able to utilize US efforts and spend less time working out the overall form and more on just seeing if their industry can create similar materials to do the job. About the only real reason Japan would not build this plane would be pressure from the US to buy an American aircraft, whether it be the F-22 or JSF.
The mock-up itself seems to be a dual purpose aircraft, if you compare it to the Mitsubishi F-1. The shape of the canopy looks like it should be a two-seater, with the back seat painted over. In that way it shares a common flaw with the F-1: No Rearward Visibilty. But it makes me wonder if this might actually be a Lockheed mock-up was at one time modified to to show a proposed twin-seat version, then modified again to show prospective customers...like Japan. Maybe if there were more pictures of it...