"japan May Buy Eurofighter" - Drops intrest in F-22

[nev]

Link

Obviously the need to replace their creaky old F-4s in the ADF role is becoming increasinly urgent.  I'm pretty sure they still hold out hopes of getting teh Raptor to replace their F-15s eventually.

License built my Mitsubishi or Kawasaki?  Mitsubishi F-3 Typhun?  

[ysi_maniac]

This can be a good move.
BTW: IIRC the name of a WWII japanese fighter meant that: typhoon. But I do not remember which one  :dum:  

[AeroplaneDriver]

There was a story on Flightglobal.com a week or so back about Japan pursuing an indigenous stealth platform as a backup to Raptor.  The picture showed a mockup of a nice looking Raptor/Replica/Lightning type thingie.

Japanese Typhoons have been kicked around for a few months also.

[nev]

A stealth jobbie like this one Nick?

Given the Japanese recent history of indiginous solutions to military procurement it makes sense.  But of course such a plane is simply a mock-up right now, and probly 15-20 years away from service (not to mention how much it will cost).  Perhaps as an F-15 replacement, or to scare/pressure the US into selling the Raptor.

But the JASDF need a 5th gen fighter to replace their F-4s pretty soon - so we're back to the usual Gripen/Rafale/Typhoon debate....

edit:  10,000 posts    

[Mossie]

Perhaps as an F-15 replacement, or to scare/pressure the US into selling the Raptor.

Hmm, in planform it looks pretty much like a F-15 derivative, if so the US aren't going to be happy unless they're getting a major pay day.  Mind you the Japanese are pretty good at taking someone elses design & improving on it, might be the right way to go for them.

edit:  10,000 posts 

Happy, err, postiversary () Nev!    

[ysi_maniac]

Congrats nev: 10000+ posts    

[Captain Canada]

That'd be sweet ! Has anybody built a Japanese Typhoon yet ?

 

[jcf]

This can be a good move.
BTW: IIRC the name of a WWII japanese fighter meant that: typhoon. But I do not remember which one  :dum:

The A7M2 was the Reppu which is generally translated as 'hurricane'.

Japanese for typhoon is taifu.

Jon

[AeroplaneDriver]

The article I read (maybe it wasnt on flightglobal-I cant seem to find it there) gave the indication that this project was more of a pressuring tactic on the US than a truly serious aircraft project.  And, you're right Nev, this project was seen as a follow on aircraft and not an alternative for an F-4 replacement.  I read another article a while back that reinforced that Typhoon was the preferred aircraft among the senior officers over there.  

Someone did a really nice blue JASDF Typhoon a while back IIRC...

[nev]

From the profiles thread in the JASDF GB - first one by Glanini



Then this one by Blackops




There's still one F-4 strike sqdn IIRC in the blue camo, so its possible.  I think there's also a couple of sqdns still using them as fighters.

[Riksbar]

I see the RAF are looking at a new unit too.



(shamelessly lifted from www.pprune.com)

[AeroplaneDriver]

Love the Red Arrow!  At the risk of thread hijack, someone on pprune was saying that 4 Typhoons might actually be a cheaper option than the 9 Hawks if the RAF start looking at cutting the Reds, especially if the they cut the schedule to proper air shows instead of overflying every flower show and Pizza Hut opening.

Back to your regularly scheduled whiffery...LOVE the blue Typhoons, but I'm sure someone did it in styrene a year or two back.

[Dork the kit slayer]

What will they call it??

 Heaven sent green cloud ?

 Misty mountain of joy?

            Eiko2?

Mountain sunset lightning?

It will be something poetic surely?        

[Ian the Kiwi Herder]

Hmmm, JASDF Typhoons & F-2A's, dogfighting with Chinese Su30's over the Korean Peninsular or with Russian MiG 29's over the Kuril Islands.... Not THAT far from the real world, wouldn't you say ??

Ian

[nev]

Well, whilst in the shower (been a quiet shift, plant shut down ) I got to thinking about what upgrades a JASDF typhoon would have

Obviously AAM-3 and -4 instead of ASRAAM and Meteor/AMRAAM

New engines?  Probly not as the Tiffie is already pretty powerful, but maybe thrust vectoring (has this been tested/trialed/proposed?)

New radar.  Its conventional planar array is probly the Typhoons weakest point, so a Phased Array seems a must to me considering all those 2nd gen Flankers she's be up against.  Again, have there been any developments in this area?  Would the Superbugs radar fit?  An indiginous Japanese design?

I know one of the reasons Singapore downselected the Typhoon in favour of the F-15E is that a lot of the more advanced developments haven't been fully integrated yet, which seem to me to be the only thinking holding the plane back.  We have a 5th gen fighter with a lot of 4th gen features, whereas the Americans have a lot of 4th gen fighters with 5th gen avionics.....