Lockheed Martin F-35 – front view
Boeing and Lockheed Martin have confirmed their interest in pursuing the Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF) requirement to replace its Mitsubishi F-2 multirole fighter aircraft.
Speaking to IHS Jane’s on 19 July, the US corporations said that they will aim to leverage their significant respective footprints in Japan in bidding for a programme, which could be worth about USD20 billion.
The Japanese Ministry of Defence (MoD) has recently issued a request for information (RfI) and has said it expects to make a decision regarding the JASDF’s “future fighter aircraft” by fiscal year 2018, which commences April 2018.
The F-2 was produced in the 2000s in a collaboration programme between Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) and Lockheed Martin and is expected to be retired from about 2027.
A spokesperson from Boeing told IHS Jane’s that the company was in the process of reviewing the F-2 replacement requirements. The spokesperson added that Boeing is “constantly looking for ways to grow [its] relationships and increase our presence in Japan, and are open to discussions with the customer to see how we can help meet their security needs”.
A spokesperson from Lockheed Martin said, “Japan is seeking information from a variety of potential industry partners and we are certainly interested in another potential opportunity to bolster our long-standing partnership with Japan.” The spokesperson added, “We are proud of our successful partnerships with Japan on the F-35 programme and MHI on the F-2 programme. We look forward to learning more about Japan’s plans as discussions progress.”
The RfI was issued in June to international combat aircraft manufacturers as part of a study into jet fighter technologies. The RfI closed earlier in July, with the companies – also likely to include Eurofighter and Saab – expected to present their information by the end of August.
The RfI is intended to support consideration of available combat aircraft as well as gauge international companies’ willingness to participate in a collaborative programme as the MoD decides whether to develop the F-2 replacement indigenously or to enter a joint development programme with a foreign firm based on an existing fighter aircraft design.
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