Japan's next-generation fighter jet, the 'F-3' Also known as the tentative name F-3, Japan's next-generation fighter jet Photo by Japan Ministry of Defense
[Military Analyst Kim Daeyoung] Japan is accelerating the development of the next-generation fighter jet to replace the currently operated F-2 fighter jet.
According to local Japanese media, on July 7 (local time), the Japanese Ministry of Defense briefed the ruling Liberal Democratic Party’s Defense Parliamentary League on a concrete development plan related to the next-generation fighter jet, the successor to the existing F-2 fighter jet. The next-generation fighter jet, tentatively named the 'F-3,' is expected to be a large-scale power enhancement project in Japan with a total budget amounting to several trillion yen.
Like Korea’s indigenous fighter jet, the KFX, Japan’s next-generation fighter jet has sparked much controversy. Within Japan, opinions have emerged advocating for overseas direct procurement or joint development, especially due to concerns over economic feasibility.
Nevertheless, considering the maintenance and development of the domestic aviation industry, Japan ultimately decided to proceed with domestically led development. The recently disclosed development plan includes a proposal to operationalize the fighter jet starting in 2035, coinciding with the retirement of the F-2 fighter jets currently used by the Japan Air Self-Defense Force. It also states that the planned production quantity is approximately 90 units.
The required performance and capabilities for the next-generation fighter jet are based on the 'Medium-Term Defense Capability Development Plan' decided by the Japanese Cabinet in December 2018. To secure and maintain future air superiority, the fighter jet is expected to play a key role in network-centric warfare. For reference, network-centric warfare refers to effectively linking all identifiable elements in the battlespace to secure information superiority and convert it into combat power. In other words, it applies network information technology to military operations.
In particular, to prepare for future air threats 15 or 30 years ahead, the plan considers maintaining capabilities that can serve as the core in battles connected via networks not only among the Japan Air Self-Defense Force’s fighter jets and airborne early warning control aircraft but also various weapon systems of the Ground Self-Defense Force and Maritime Self-Defense Force. Besides these network-centric warfare capabilities, the plan calls for high stealth, sensors with excellent detection performance, electronic warfare capabilities to continue operations in various jamming environments, sufficient missile payload capacity, and interoperability with the U.S. military.
The known development schedule starts with prototype production in 2024, followed by flight testing from 2028, and initial mass production beginning in 2031. In this regard, the Ministry of Defense allocated 11 billion yen (approximately 122.2 billion KRW) in the 2020 budget for basic design costs of the next-generation fighter jet and plans to select development partners by the end of this year, when the 2021 budget plan is finalized. During 2020, the selection and contracting of the company responsible for the airframe will be completed to fully commence development.
Additionally, areas of cooperation with the United States and the United Kingdom are being specified, and discussions on collaborative development systems are underway. With the U.S., discussions focus on securing interoperability between Japan and the U.S. and the introduction of U.S. technology. Regarding the United Kingdom, which is pursuing the development of the Tempest as a replacement for the Eurofighter around the same time as Japan, possibilities for cooperation such as cost-sharing are reportedly being explored.
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