Japan will develop a new aircraft to succeed its F-2 fighter. Tokyo has already rejected proposals Lockheed Martin, Boeing and BAE System to supply new jets.
Some 92 F-2s of the Japan Air Self-Defence Force are expected to retire in the 2030s and Japanese government has sought bids from Lockheed Martin for its F-22, Boeing for its F-15, and BAE Systems for its Eurofighter Typhoon. Tokyo decided to replace F-2s with locally-made jet according to Mainichi Shimbun.
The new fighter jet development project will be part of the next five-year mid-term defence program to be drawn up at the end of the year. The new jet could be a joint development program with foreign companies with Japanese companies developing the engine and some other main components while a second option calls for the jet to be fully developed domestically.
The government is also exploring the possibility of teaming up with British or German-French partners who are looking at developing fifth generation fighters but is unsure if their respective projects will meet its F-2 replacement deadline.
