Japan builds up defense with fighter plane

[Corzhens]

Japan is building an experimental stealth fighter plane, one that has more maneuverability than other aircraft in the league. The fighter plane will debut next week, February 15 or a week after. It was designed by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries for the ministry of defense. The X-2 stealth fighter will replace the aging F-2 fighter planes that will be retired.

For more details - Japanese defense: Stealth fighter prototype unveiled- Nikkei Asian Review

 

[Redheart]

The only way Japan can stay ahead of countries such as China [although it's too late for that now] is to use tech [and they are way ahead of the rest of the world in all matters tech] to their advantage and build military aircraft and equipment that will give them an edge over their neighbors. Building this new stealth fighter shows that they are heading in that direction.

 

[ipm_zipedia]

The only way Japan can stay ahead of countries such as China [although it's too late for that now] is to use tech [and they are way ahead of the rest of the world in all matters tech] to their advantage and build military aircraft and equipment that will give them an edge over their neighbors. Building this new stealth fighter shows that they are heading in that direction.

I honestly don't think that it's too late to get ahead of China, and I do believe that their military force is greatly exaggerated. Good on Japan though for keeping ahead with current times. I'm one of the few that believes that these 'experimental' fighter craft are a great miss-allocation of valuable resources, although I do appreciate their combat ability and features they provide. Once again, the meticulous avionic sciences at their best. They're probably drawing inspiration from the F-35 if that's a safe assumption.

 

[Redheart]

The F-35 was a colossal failure and if they are drawing inspiration from it then they shouldn't expect to fare any better.

There's hardly any reason why a lot of money should be spent making these stealth fighters when some radars and other devices can still detect them. Stealth fighters, huh.

Did China Just Render America's $1 Trillion Stealth Fighter Program Obsolete? -- The Motley Fool
China has a new device that may be able to track Lockheed's F-35 fighter with "passive" radar detection technology. Dubbed the DWL002, China's equipment can apparently detect stealth aircraft at distances of up to 400 kilometers -- and 600 kilometers for larger "stealth" targets -- processing "pulse, frequency agility, pulse duration, tactical air navigation system, distance measuring equipment, jitter/stagger radar, and identification friend or foe" signals emitted by the otherwise stealthy aircraft to determine its location.

To be clear, DWL002 is not an active radar system itself. As International Assessment and Strategy Center senior fellow Richard Fisher explains "Passive systems like these simply listen for any electronic emission," identifying an aircraft without having to ping it with an active radar transmitter. As such, whether or not the F-35 is itself invisible to "radar" may be a moot point.

 

[djdefense]

The F35 program simply took too much time. And is still a disaster. But, Japan has the knowledge base and the resources to militarize quickly with the latest weapon. Its not just about stealth tech, they are working on high powered weapons and em attack modules, which will in any case render another plane useless in mid air without having to fire a single ballistic projectile.

 

[ipm_zipedia]

The F35 program simply took too much time. And is still a disaster. But, Japan has the knowledge base and the resources to militarize quickly with the latest weapon. Its not just about stealth tech, they are working on high powered weapons and em attack modules, which will in any case render another plane useless in mid air without having to fire a single ballistic projectile.

Yeah. Hopefully if they have their priorities in order, they will focus on effective weapon systems. I was actually a very big fan of the F-35 program before it was proven to be a sham, and I appreciate the advantages high-tech fighters like them provide. Japan has always been an innovator in technology, which you are right about. I'll be waiting to hear about the versatility of new fighter soon.

 

[explorerx7]

The rift between Japan and China is now causing Japan to step up its military capabilities. China has been very busy producing new weapons on a regular basis, and with that country hinting that it wants to be the dominant power in that region, I believe that Japan has become wary of China's motives and is now seeking to ensure that it is not dominated.