Japanese Review Bolsters Non-F-35 Order Case
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: by the Great Salt Lake, USA
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No "Ouch"... Japan was never any part of any calculations on the JSF/F-35 program.
Sure, it would be "nice" for them to join in as a late-coming extra, but sales there have not been "on the schedule" ever, so this would be no loss of any part of the planned program.
However, this report makes NO recommendation that the F-35 be excluded... in fact it accepts that Japan CANNOT afford to design & build its own fighter (thus ending the "home-built stealth fighter option" that would be the alternative to F-35/F-22).
All it does is SUGGEST that Typhoon/Super Hornet/Eagle MIGHT provide more opportunity for engineering & development work IF Japan wants to make significant changes to their design, while any new development work on F-35 would be many years in the future.
Of course, all 3 of those designs NEED "more development work" to be competitive with F-35 in a "strong opposing air-defense network" environment (and the article specifically mentions the need for "advanced versions of the Eurofighter Typhoon, Boeing F-15 or Boeing F/A-18E/F" if the F-35 is not purchased, so...
Overall, budget realities will likely reign supreme here, and F-35 as is will cost a lot less than Typhoon/Super Hornet/Eagle with significant home-designed modification/upgrades!
Without those modifications/upgrades, F-35 could provide more Japanese work-share, thus aiding Japanese industry more.
Sure, it would be "nice" for them to join in as a late-coming extra, but sales there have not been "on the schedule" ever, so this would be no loss of any part of the planned program.
However, this report makes NO recommendation that the F-35 be excluded... in fact it accepts that Japan CANNOT afford to design & build its own fighter (thus ending the "home-built stealth fighter option" that would be the alternative to F-35/F-22).
All it does is SUGGEST that Typhoon/Super Hornet/Eagle MIGHT provide more opportunity for engineering & development work IF Japan wants to make significant changes to their design, while any new development work on F-35 would be many years in the future.
Of course, all 3 of those designs NEED "more development work" to be competitive with F-35 in a "strong opposing air-defense network" environment (and the article specifically mentions the need for "advanced versions of the Eurofighter Typhoon, Boeing F-15 or Boeing F/A-18E/F" if the F-35 is not purchased, so...
Overall, budget realities will likely reign supreme here, and F-35 as is will cost a lot less than Typhoon/Super Hornet/Eagle with significant home-designed modification/upgrades!
Without those modifications/upgrades, F-35 could provide more Japanese work-share, thus aiding Japanese industry more.
