The leaders of India and Japan have pledged to help each other with next-generation fighters that are equal to the J-20 Mighty Dragon. They work together in security and military operations; they might even work together on sixth-generation fighters.
India, Japan Partnership
This change has fueled speculation that Japan may invite India to participate in planning its sixth-generation fighter jet program, F-X, which is slated to replace the Japanese Air Self Defense Force's outgoing F-2 fighters (JASD0, reported the EurAsian Times.
The next-gen fighter program is crucial to alleged aggression against Taiwan and Japan having run-ins with the Chinese.
Japan is looking for partners for its new jet. Sankei News in Japan reported a month ago that Tokyo had been in talks with British aviation defense major BAE Systems to cooperate on F-X fighter advancement.
Any Japanese plans for India to participate in the sixth-generation fighter jet program could be hard to execute, as India is focusing on its Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) program and improving the efficiency of its assets.
Previously, Britain stated that it would cooperate with India on new fighter aircraft technology and award India an open general export license. Both India and Japan are developing next-generation fighters similar to the J-20 Mighty Dragon.
India is focused on the AMCA as the flagship Atmanirbhar Bharat scheme. Last year India's Defense Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) informed metal cutting for the plane. China's J-20 is the only 5th generation fighter operational for now.
Collaboration To Develop Tokyo's F-X
The next-generation F-3 or F-X, Japan's first indigenously designed stealth fighter jet, will replace the outgoing Mitsubishi F-2 fighters. It is a dual-engine fighter with a total of six inner weapons. As reported earlier, the fighter jet will augment the lighter F-35 jets.
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) of Japan is in charge of creating the next-generation fighter jet F-X. The prototype will be ready by 2024, with the very first flight taking place in 2028.
A next-generation fighter jet, F-X, will be built by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI), a Japanese company. The prototype is expected to be finished by 2024, with the first flight taking place in 2028.
By 2035, it should be fully operational. Meanwhile, India's ambitious Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) fighter is expected to ship in a similar timeframe.
The Indian AMCA, on the other hand, is a twin-engine stealth aircraft with an internal weapons bay and a diverter-less supersonic intake that has been produced for the first time and whose design is now complete, cited The Hindu.
The Indian fighter is 25 tons with an internal capacity of 1,500 kg, capable of 5,500 kg in addition to 6,500 kg of internal fuel.
Linganna added that the program would cost approximately $48 billion, which appears as the reason why Japan desires a few of the countries to join so that it can at least guarantee money from interested countries.
India and Japan need next-generation fighters from their programs to make a better plane than the J-20 Mighty Dragon.
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