Originally Posted by
etudiant
Sounds seriously expensive. Can Japan afford this kind of gold plated gear?
Japan has quite a long history of expensive programs (C-1, F-1, F-2, P-1, US/PS1....) that keep their aviation design and manufacturing programs alive. Over the decades it would have been cheaper to buy off the shelf, but they desired to maintain the jobs and infrastructure. F-2 rumored to be around twice the cost of a F-16.
WHY they want to do this is perhaps another discussion....