일본의 차기전투기도입 사업, Japan's F-X contest will start 2010...

 

일본의 차기전투기도입 사업 소식입니다. 항공자위대가 운영중인 노후 F-4 팬텀을 2014년부터 도태시키고, 2015년부터 차기

전투기들을 도입하겠다는 얘기인데요, 이를 위해서 2010년 상반기 중으로 RFP 를 받아, 2011년도 예산에 반영한 후, 2012년

기종 선정 및 계약을 체결한 후, 2015년부터 도입/실전배치 한다는 계획입니다.

 

도입 물량은 최소 2개 대대분 약 50대 미만으로 계획하고 있으나, 항공자위대가 기존에 운영 중인 F-15J 의 초기 도입분 중

노후된 기체들에 대해서도 일부 교체를 진행한다면, 최종 물량은 늘어날 것으로 예상한다고 합니다.

 

후보기종으로는 Lockheed Martin F-35 JSF, Boeing F-15SE 그리고 Eurofighter Typhoon 등이 거론되고 있으나, 이들 3개

기종 모두 최종적으로 일본에 수출되기 위해서는 풀어야 할 기술적인 문제들이 남아 있다는 내용입니다. 그리고 일본이 개발한

공대공 미사일 AAM-5 의 장착문제도 최종 기종 선정에 있어서 고려사항이라 합니다.

 

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  F-15SE (© Boeing Co.)

 

Starters Orders

With decision milestones looming, a first-quarter go-ahead for Japan’s fighter contest is now pending

Aviation Week & Space Technology    12/07/2009

Authors: Douglas Barrie and Robert Wall

 

The new Japanese government is expected to end its period of reflection early next year and finally kick off what is shaping up to be a compressed competition to pick a replacement for its aging F-4s—if the target in-service date is to be met. The Eurofighter Typhoon is a candidate platform for Japan’s F-X requirement, where it faces a dogfight with U.S. opposition.

 

When elections brought in the government led by Prime Minster Yukio Hatoyama in August, the fighter program was briefly put on ice to allow a strategic review, due to be completed by year-end. With the process done, industry is expecting a request for proposals (RFP) to be issued in the first quarter of 2010, with a response time of as little as 90-120 days.

 

The need to start phasing out its remaining F-4s beginning in 2014, and Japan’s budgeting process, mean bidders will face a tight schedule as they vie for the F-X program. By August, Tokyo is expected to reach its verdict. Funding would then be included in the fiscal 2011 budget, a contract signed in 2012, and first aircraft deliveries would take place in 2015.

 

U.S. and U.K. government officials have in recent months been providing support for their respective industries during visits to Japan. While Tokyo has traditionally moved in lock-step with Washington, the Hatoyama government appears interested in greater independence—and there has also been friction over U.S. bases in Japan.

 

The specific wording of the RFP is also expected to shape the competition. The Lockheed Martin F-35 Joint Strike Fighter and Eurofighter Typhoon are already firmly in the running.

 

Boeing, though, is still evaluating how to pursue the competition. Both the F/A-18E/F and F-15FX are options, though a company official notes that submitting two bids is not likely. Instead, Boeing wants to see what Tokyo is asking for in terms of range, speed, payload and other requirements, and then assess which fighter to put into the race.

 

How many aircraft Japan plans to buy remains uncertain, and may be driven simply by the available budget. The nominal plan is to equip at least two squadrons, with 40-50 aircraft to be purchased initially. It is also possible that the type selected could eventually be bought to replace early model F-15s.

 

Two key areas will likely become clear with the release of the RFP. one relates to the level of technical maturity Japan demands from the selected aircraft, the other to benefits that will be required to flow to local industry.

 

In the past, Japan has been willing to pay a premium for license production of foreign equipment. However, some industry officials suggest that may be changing, and that the focus is now much less on building aircraft in-country, but instead on providing high-value aerospace work for Japanese firms. License production of components will still be required, but likely not of the full airplane, suggests one senior U.S. industry official.

 

Eurofighter is offering significant work sharing, with Boeing also saying it has identified extensive opportunities to reward Japan’s industry—the company already has extensive local ties based on prior military sales and due to the heavy involvement of Japanese industry in building Boeing airliners. Mitsubishi Heavy Industries is all but guaranteed to be the onshore partner for whichever manufacturer is selected.

 

How strict Tokyo will be on buying only proven technology could also hold the key to the competition. That’s an issue for all three candidates: the F-35 remains in development; Eurofighter’s strategy to fit the Typhoon with an active, electronically scanned array radar is not yet set; and Boeing will have to pass on offering the stealthier F-15SE Silent Eagle, which doesn’t have the technical maturity Tokyo will likely be seeking.

 

Industry officials also note that Japan has expressed interest in stand-off ordnance. The weapons package is likely to be dealt with separately from the aircraft procurement. The emphasis for the F-X, however, has been on air defense.

 

Japan’s air force may well want the ability to integrate its AAM-5 imaging infra-red guided air-to-air missile, and also possibly the active radar-guided AAM-4. The later missile—given its size and weight—could prove problematic for some contenders. It is not believed to fit on the Typhoon’s semi-recessed stations, though it could be carried on wing stations. Integration for internal carriage on the F-35 might also prove a challenge.

 

Off-the-shelf AAM options will likely include the Raytheon AIM-9X and the C or D model of the AIM-120 for the U.S. platforms, with the MBDA Asraam and Diehl BGT Iris-T short-range weapons pitched for Typhoon. MBDA’s rocket-ramjet powered Meteor active-radar-guided missile could provide the beyond-visual-range capability for the Typhoon.

 

  Eurofighter Typhoon (© Flight International)

 

  F-35 (AA-01) with USMC F/A-18A (MA-06, 162469, 325/A269) (© Lockheed Martin)