A Far East Future Recon System

[Leading Observer]

These will be built straight out of the box, but with a different end user in mind:
https://i.imgur.com/O0SNwHUm.jpg[/img]]
https://i.imgur.com/vHUVV6nm.jpg[/img]]

[zenrat]

 

[NARSES2]

Interesting 

[Leading Observer]

Japans Dragon Project
At 0012 on the 30th December 2021, JASDF Radar picked up a large number of fast moving military aircraft moving east across the East China Sea and then establishing a race track pattern just outside Japanese air space. These were joined shortly afterwards by a larger aircraft. There was also a lot of encoded radio contact between the fast movers and this large aircraft.
The JASDF immediately scrambled two F-2A aircraft from the 6th Tactical Fighter Squadron at Tsuiki Air Base to investigate. Upon arriving over the East China Sea, the 2 F-2A were immediately met by a pair of Chinese Shenyang J-11 fighters and advised that the PLAAF were conducting a search and rescue exercise for a missing aircraft. Japanese offers of assistance were refused, and they were warned to stay away from the area. The JASDF decided to remain close by, within Japanese Air Space, both to observe the on-going Chinese exercise and to be in a position to assist if called upon to do so.
After about 40 minutes, the 2 F-2A's were about to be relieved by replacement aircraft, when the flight leader detected an intermittent contact on his radar, and then noticed that the Chinese appeared to be moving to intercept this contact, which was headed directly towards them. They then observed the J-11's launching missiles in the direction of this ghost, and as these missiles were also heading their way, they took evasive action and launched flares. It was these flares that revealed the target of the PLAAF aircraft to be another Chinese aircraft, which the lead pilot immediately recognised as a J-20 Stealth fighter, now inside Japanese controlled airspace. The J-20 joined formation with the JASDF F-2A's and made it clear that his radio was out of operation and that he wanted to surrender by lowering his under carriage.
At this moment the original F-2A's were joined by the aircraft due to replace them on patrol, so they formed an escort around the Chinese aircraft and turned east towards home. 2 of the PLAAF J-11's tried to interfere in this by flying dangerously close to the formation, but desisted when they were advised that they were no longer over international waters, and by the activation of the JASDF aircraft attack radar systems.
The 4 F-2A's escorted the J-20 to Tsuiki Airbase where the J-20 was immediately towed into a hanger out of the sight of prying eyes. The pilot requested asylum and was taken away for interrogation.
The Chinese Government immediately began pressuring Japan for the return of both the pilot and the aircraft, but the Japanese Government, fed up with the aggressive attitude of China over navigation rights in international waters, decided to capitalise on the situation and advised the Chinese that whilst they had indeed recovered the pilot from the waters off Nagasaki Airport, regrettably the aircraft had crashed into the waters of Omura Bay and disappeared, evidently having run out of fuel before being able to land. As the pilot had requested political asylum, Japan was not in a position to return him or the aircraft to China. The Chinese government was furious at being out played by Japan, but there was nothing they could do about it.
Engineers from Mitsubishi's F-X programme were summoned, under utmost secrecy, to Tsuiki Air Base to examine the J-20. Under their direction the aircraft was then dismantled and taken to the Mitsubishi Heavy Industries facility at Nagoya. There the components were analysed in detail and  with improvements learnt from their own programme, the aircraft was re-assembled as a prototype for the F-3 Stealth fighter. In parallel the engineers had also been developing a version licensed version of the EADS Barracuda UAV to fly in concert with the F-X as a force multiplier.
The resulting system was named Dragon, in a sly nod to the unwitting Chinese imput, with the manned element being called Dragon Fire [ 火事竜 ] and the UAV Dragon Eye [ドラゴンアイ].
The aircraft pictured are the first two aircraft to enter service with 303 Squadron JASDF and are therefore sporting the Red Hinomaru – subsequent aircraft bore the Grey version seen on the F-35.

[McColm]

Wow 

[buzzbomb]

Nice work

[zenrat]

 

[NARSES2]

Nice work