During a visit to the United Kingdom last year, Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and his British counterpart Boris Johnson agreed to cooperate on future fighter programmes. They are expected together to sign a Memorandum of Cooperation for future technology sharing and cooperation on missile and aircraft programs. Japan also shared details of its next-generation fighter. This is the first time in 40 years that Japan has been responsible for the development of a fighter craft.
The Nikkei newspaper reported details of Japan’s 6th-generation fighter. This aircraft is scheduled to enter service 2035. The aircraft will employ stealth technologies, with the option of being manned, and offer high levels in manned-unmanned partnership. The aircraft will travel at hypersonic speeds. Hypersonic weapons can be difficult to track and are not easily recallable once fired. The aircraft will be likely equipped with a supercruise engines, which will allow for incredible flying speeds.
The aircraft will likely come with a bond structure. This means that the aircraft's structures are bonded together. This will reduce aircraft weight. The aircraft will also have a reduced weight and a longer operational range. It will likely have avionics and engines from Japan, as well as a British-developed powerplant.
The UK and Japan partnership will include joint development of an air/to-air missile programme. Japan has extensive domestic research on component technologies and will likely work with the British company BAE Systems, which is a leading aerospace and defense company. They are experts in electronic warfare and will likely work with BAE Systems to develop data technology for military planes.
Japan plans to launch series production of F-X aircraft in 2031. The aircraft will cost 5 trillion yen ($48 billion), Japan plans to build around 90 of these aircraft and deploy the fighter by 2030.
The integrated bonded structure of the aircraft will be made up of composite materials. This will allow for a reduction in weight and will provide more flexibility to the air force when it comes to operations and bases. The aircraft will also have heat shields. The aircraft will have an advanced digital capability, as well as advanced AI capabilities. Advanced networking systems, Gallium Nickel (GaN), radars, as well as AESA radars, will all be part of the aircraft.
The F-X program will be designed in Japan, and will be developed by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. The company's stealth airplane X2 (which flew its first flight on April 2016) is an example how such a program can be built. It is a high-tech aircraft with three-dimensional vectored thrust control, fly-by optics, and a 3D vectored thrust control system. It is also the first demonstration of experimental stealth technology.
It is likely that many other companies will join the UK-Japan Partnership, including Northrup Grumman (Rolls Royce) and Northrup Grumman (Northrup Grumman). These companies have experience in developing electronic warfare technology as well as air-to–air missiles. They will also work with Japan to develop a new powerplant.