The government is in the final stage of negotiations to commission IHI Corp. and British Rolls-Royce PLC to codevelop an engine for the Air Self-Defense Force's next-generation fighter jet.
The government wants to utilize the technologies of Japan, Britain and the United States in the development of the jet, which will succeed the F-2 fighter. U.S. Lockheed Martin Corp. has already been selected to work on the jets' stealth technology.
The next-generation fighters are expected to be introduced in the mid-2030s when the retirement of F-2 fighters begins.
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd., the main developer in charge of the new jet's airframe design and system development, is receiving technological support from Lockheed, developer of the cutting-edge F-35 stealth fighter.
The engine of the ASDF's new fighter will be developed by IHI, which developed the engine for the Maritime Self-Defense Force's P-1 maritime patrol aircraft. But the challenge was to build a framework for international cooperation to cut development costs and improve its capabilities.
Rolls-Royce, whose engines are installed in the MSDF's P-3C patrol aircraft, has a good reputation in the Japanese government.
Cooperation between Japan and Britain -- which developed the next-generation combat aircraft Tempest -- would be expected to benefit both sides if realized. Negotiations among high-ranking officials are currently underway.
The Defense Ministry is aiming to develop a prototype of the next-generation fighters in the mid-2020s and plans to include design costs for the engine and airframe in the budget estimate for fiscal 2022. Development costs alone are expected to exceed 1 trillion yen.
The ASDF's main fleet will comprise the next-generation jets, F-35s and F-15s, according to forecasts.
Including stealth-equipped fifth-generation fighters and fourth-generation jets such as the F-15, Japan currently has 313 fighter jets, far fewer than China, which has 1,146.
"We have no choice but to improve standards," a senior defense ministry official said.
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