[Viewing the World Through Weapons] Why Does Japan Want to Develop Its Own Stealth Aircraft?

Domestic Production That Cannot Be Abandoned Despite Watching the Trump Administration
Grievances During F-2 Development... Criticism That Only Core Technologies Were Taken Away

Concept image of the F-3 fighter jet released by the Japanese Ministry of Defense
[Image source: Japanese Ministry of Defense website/www.mod.go.jp]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] News has emerged that the Japanese government's long-considered indigenous stealth fighter development project, the 'F-3' fighter jet development project, is finally beginning to take shape. The Japanese government, which had been deliberating between the British BAE Systems and the American Lockheed Martin for partnership in the development project, has reportedly leaned towards Lockheed Martin considering its relationship with the United States. However, criticism is already rising within Japan that, as with the past F-2 fighter, Japan might end up losing only its core technologies and be exploited by the U.S. without any real benefit.

According to a report by Nihon Keizai Shimbun on the 6th, considering defense cooperation with the U.S. and the expansion in the number and content of joint defense exercises, the Japanese government appears to be moving forward with the F-3 fighter development project in collaboration with an American company. Previously, Japan was considering both British BAE Systems and American Lockheed Martin as partners. Japan plans to cover most of the development costs but intends not to lose core technologies to the U.S. as happened during the F-2 development.

The Trump administration in the U.S. had urged Japan not to cooperate with British BAE Systems regarding the F-3 development project. Since the end of last year, it even threatened to link this issue with the U.S. Forces Japan defense cost-sharing negotiations. In fact, Japan has already imported a large number of F-35 fighters from the U.S., thus expanding its stealth capabilities, but it still has not abandoned the dream of domestic production. Lockheed Martin has expressed willingness to contribute to stealth capability development suitable for carrier-based aircraft by utilizing technologies from the F-22 and F-35, but the Japanese government is reportedly seeking even higher-level technology. The tension between the two sides is expected to begin from now on.

Appearance of the F-2 fighter jet
[Image source=Japan Ministry of Defense website/www.mod.go.jp]

The reason the Japanese government, often derisively called the "U.S. poodle" for always aligning closely with the U.S., is so proactive about domestic stealth fighter production is due to past criticism for losing core technologies to the U.S. and failing at domestic production during the F-2 development project in the late 1980s under the Bush administration. The F-2 fighter was a project pursued as a domestic fighter development effort prior to the F-3 fighter.

The F-2 development project was widely publicized within Japan as a revival of the Zero-sen fighter, which had shocked the world during World War II, and the Japanese government invested significant effort into it. However, it was criticized for yielding no real benefits. It failed to accumulate technology through independent development and also failed to receive core technology transfers from the U.S., leading to domestic and international criticism.

Started in 1988, the F-2 development project saw sharp internal conflicts within the Japan Self-Defense Forces between advocates of pure domestic production and proponents of joint development with the U.S. Due to budget and technological limitations, joint development based on the U.S. F-16 fighter was pursued, with the Japanese government covering about 60% or more of the total development budget. However, the U.S. government refused to transfer essential technologies such as the flight control system (FBW), resulting in failure to achieve domestic technology development and leading to criticism that some Japanese military technologies were leaked to the U.S.

The appearance of the F-35A fighter jet deployed in Japan [Image source=Japan Ministry of Defense website/www.mod.go.jp]

While domestic production of strategic weapons would be ideal if implemented, in the modern era of continuous technological development, it is a difficult decision for any country. The development costs are enormous, and the development period is quite long. If domestic production succeeds only after many countries have already purchased and operationalized the F-22 and F-35, it would be significantly delayed. Meanwhile, manned stealth fighters, commonly called 5th-generation fighters, are gradually being phased out on the battlefield, and the next generation of 6th-generation fighters may replace them.

Going forward, whether the Japanese government will simply produce a U.S. replica or create a completely new fighter, and what kind of domestic fighter it will present, is expected to bring significant changes to the military competition dynamics across Northeast Asia.