Dec 3 2015 at 12:58 PM Updated Dec 3 2015 at 12:58 PM

Japan set to test stealth jet as Abe strengthens armed forces

by Chris Cooper and Kiyotaka Matsuda

Japan is closing in on becoming the fourth nation to test fly its own stealth jet, a move that could further antagonise neighbouring Asian countries who've opposed Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's bid to strengthen the role of its armed forces.

The aircraft is scheduled to make its maiden flight within the first three months of next year, Hirofumi Doi, a program manager at the Ministry of Defence, said in an interview in Tokyo. The plane, called Advanced Technology Demonstrator X, will then be handed over to the nation's self-defence forces, which will start conducting its own tests, he said.

The Mitsubishi Heavy Industries-made plane builds on Mr Abe's military ambitions after he succeeded in pushing through US-endorsed legislation to allow Japanese troops to fight in overseas conflicts, despite concerns voiced abroad and at home. Japanese militarism is a particularly sensitive topic for China and South Korea because of the aggression they endured before and during World War II.

"The security environment around Japan is becoming increasingly complex and Japan needs to maintain air capabilities commensurate to those of other air forces in the region," said Rukmani Gupta, an analyst in New Delhi at IHS Jane's. "Should the ATD-X test be deemed successful, it is very likely that Japan will pursue production of a next-generation fighter."

The 14-metre-long jet, equipped with engines from IHI Corporation, will cost 40 billion yen ($440 million) to develop, Mr Doi said. The ATD-X could become the basis for a new fighter jet to replace the nation's F-2, said Takahiro Yoshida, a director in the ministry.

Should Japan decide to make a fighter jet version, its engines would be about three times the strength of the stealth jet's, and the plane would have enough space to store missiles inside it, Mr Doi said.

It's not a given that Japan will go ahead with the project.

"These experimental fighters are an exercise in the realm of the possible," said Lance Gatling, head of aerospace consultancy Nexial Research. "In terms of international relations, it's a bargaining chip. They can say: 'We did a credible job on this, we may just build our own if you don't give us a better deal or you don't give us a portion of the production in Japan.'"

IHI is fully supporting flight tests of the latest jet, said Yuki Takahashi, a Tokyo-based spokeswoman. Hideo Ikuno, a spokesman for Mitsubishi Heavy in Tokyo, declined to comment on the jet's development.

The US, Russia and China have all built and flown stealth planes, known as fifth-generation jets, which are harder to detect by radar. Other countries such as India and Turkey are also developing stealth jets, according to Mr Gupta at IHS Jane's. South Korea and Indonesia are also investing in the joint development of a next-generation fighter aircraft, he said.

Back in Japan, the government will make a decision on a replacement for its F-2 fighter jets by the end of March 2019, Doi said.

"We're building this in preparation for the development of a new fighter jet," Mr Doi said. "Neighbouring countries are developing stealth jets and so this research is to allow us to understand what technology is needed for such a project."