Japan starts to assemble full scale ATD-X

Shaitan

Zandu Balm all day
Mod
Joined
Aug 3, 2010
Messages
4,654
Likes
8,363
Country flag
Tokyo, March 28, 2012 - Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (MHI) today began assembly of a full-scale structural-testing model of an Advanced Technology Demonstrator (ATD). The ATD, which MHI is building under the contract with the Japan Ministry of Defense, will be used to prove the airworthiness of advanced technologies, including stealth capabilities and high maneuverability, for future Japanese fighters. With the commencement of assembly, the ATD project has now moved into the production phase.

To mark the beginning of assembly work, the "first rivet" ceremony was held earlier today at the Tobishima Plant of MHI's Nagoya Aerospace Systems Works in Aichi Prefecture. Among those attendees were Yoshitaka Akiyama, Director General of the Technical Research & Development Institute, the Japan Ministry of Defense; Haruhiko Kataoka, Japan Air Self-Defense Force Chief of Staff; and Takashi Kobayashi, Representative Director, Executive Vice President and Head of MHI's Aerospace Systems.

During the ceremony, an equipment mounting bracket was riveted to the bulkhead separating the fuel tank from the forward equipment bay in the mid fuselage, which houses electronic equipments. It marks the first step in the assembly of the ATD aircraft. This riveting was conducted for the full-scale static structural test model to be used to obtain strength data of the aircraft's basic structural elements and to verify the design of the ATD.

The ATD prototype project was launched in Japanese fiscal year 2009 (April 2009-March 2010) in the situation of next-generation fighter development programs in neighboring countries. Through flight tests of advanced technologies relating to stealth and high maneuverability, the project aims at the empirical research of the advanced fighter technologies and air defense systems that are capable of coping with the stealth fighters that may soon be deployed around Japan.

With the assembly of the full-scale static structural test model as the first step, the ATD project is on track to produce a flight test model that is expected to make its first flight in 2014. The project is slated for completion by the end of March 2017.

MHI is committed to playing a major role in Japanese defense industry going forward and will make every effort to see the ATD project through to a successful completion.

Mitsubishi Hvy Ind : MHI Begins Assembly of Full-scale Model for Advanced Technology Demonstrator Aircraft Project | 4-Traders
 

rock127

Maulana Rockullah
Senior Member
Joined
Aug 12, 2009
Messages
10,569
Likes
25,230
Country flag
2017... they will probably beat the F-35. :lol:
Recently Japan said that they would come out of their pacifist military ideology and start exporting military hardware to few countries as well and expand it's influence in Asia.They are capable of creating the most advanced technology in any field so no wonder if they come up with even 6th gen fighters(may be named like Samurai Class 6th Gen fighters).
 
Last edited:

pmaitra

Senior Member
Joined
Mar 10, 2009
Messages
33,262
Likes
19,593
Unless they can produce anything better than american's, otherwise, they are still the puppet of USA. And China won't loss one night sleep for that.
Forget about better than America, PRC even produces weapons that are worse that those of Russia, that too after counterfeiting them. Heck, PRC even had to clone the Indian Bajaj Pulsar.
 

p2prada

Senior Member
Joined
May 25, 2009
Messages
10,234
Likes
4,015
The aircraft is at best a fifth generation version of Gripen or F-16. Perhaps an offshoot of their F-16(F-2) experience. It is supposed to be a light fighter.

As the name states, it is a tech demonstrator for a second program which will actually be inducted. But that is well into the next decade.
 

agentperry

Senior Member
Joined
Oct 24, 2010
Messages
3,022
Likes
690
they started the project in 2009 and in 2012 they are getting this into full scale testing. when i compare this with tejas i feel....mc bc
 

p2prada

Senior Member
Joined
May 25, 2009
Messages
10,234
Likes
4,015
Relax people. It is a TD. They will build one, dump it and then start over. That's what's planned as of today. This aircraft will never see service.

Btw, it is a Gripen/F-16 sized aircraft.
 

SATISH

DFI Technocrat
Ambassador
Joined
Mar 7, 2009
Messages
2,038
Likes
303
Country flag
If ATD-x flies then F-22 raptor will be based permanently in Okinawa or will be sold to Japan.

The US dosent want any other weapon other than theirs in the Pacific and western border.
 

utubekhiladi

The Preacher
Senior Member
Joined
Dec 3, 2010
Messages
4,768
Likes
10,311
Country flag
It's unwise to draw a conclusion on the project at this initial stage.
At least, Japan is trying its best to make some serious efforts in building a domestic aviation industry, :japan:which is totally different from some boastful country here who has invested tremendous resource in domestic military industry but achieved only pathetic failure projects one after another.:facepalm:
this thread is to talk about Japan and it's assemble of ATD-x.

do not derail the thread by spewing venom on your hate against India.
 

SPIEZ

Senior Member
Joined
Sep 24, 2011
Messages
3,508
Likes
1,021
Country flag
Very nice plane j20 stands no chance against it.
The main aspect would be the electronics. I believe japan has a far better and more modern electronics than China, for that all countries except US/UK.
And they could easily get their hand on Us electronics as well which could be game changer.
 

Kunal Biswas

Member of the Year 2011
Ambassador
Joined
May 26, 2010
Messages
31,122
Likes
41,042
Thread clean..

less emotion and more information..
 

Kunal Biswas

Member of the Year 2011
Ambassador
Joined
May 26, 2010
Messages
31,122
Likes
41,042
Very nice plane j20 stands no chance against it.
Just Fanboy stuff but very real looking..

Anyways, Sinshen is late and more a 6th generation figter rather than a 5th generation fighter..
 

Latest Replies

Global Defence

New threads

Articles

Top