C-2 Development Delayed and Cost More

New Transport C-2 : Two More Years For Deployment As Lack of Fuselage Strength Found  

Compiled from Jiji Press 4 July and otter sources

Ministry of Defense decided to put off deployment of the new transport, originally set at the 1st quarter of 2015, for two more years later. A C-2  test aircraft failed to sustain its fuselage during pressurizing test when its cargo door came off. The ministry said on July 4 that the accident was caused by a laas stateck of strength at aft frames and the pressure concentrated on that weak portion causing its breaking off of the test aircraft. As the specifications of that part has been changed for production aircraft, this case does not call for redesign but as retesting is needed accordinng to the ministry.　

The ministry also stated that it was critically serious case and cannot help but seeing its impact on the deployment. Retesting and other processes are estimated to cost about 40 billion yen (USD 400 million )additional budget. Total cost of C-2, then, will be expanded to JPY 260 billion.

It was learned on July 5 that the Defense Ministry had requested assistance of a professor at the University of Tokyo for investigation of the true causes but the university rejected as this request was judged against the U of T principle that prohibits any ‘military work’ by the university. Defense Ministry is asking Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology that supervises all universities in Japan but Education Ministry is not expecting the university to accept defense request for autonomy of a university principle. However, the professor joined an analytical team at the Defense Ministry in his private capacity, raising a question of the effectiveness of the university’s principles.

Two XC-2s in Flight Formation

Credit: Tech. Research & Development Institute, Ministry of Defense

Too Close for Discomfort, Chinese Did It Again

from various sources

by the editor

JUNE 12, 2014

One of Su-27s  that approached too close to JSDF aircraft on June 11. (Defense Ministry)

Japan’s Defense Ministry announced that a pair of Su-27 fighters approached  at abnormally close distance in air  to

Self Defense Force ISR aircraft over East China Sea at 11a.m. and noon JST respectively. Two Japanese aircraft were OP-3C imagery information gathering of Maritime SDF and YS-11EB electronic information gathering mission of Air SDF and both aircraft were approached by Chinese fighters as close as a 30 meters. Both Chinese aircraft did not violate Japanese airspace and did not cause any damage to SDF aircraft and crew.

Minister of Defense Itsunori Onodera publicly announced the incident in the evening of the same day, saying the government conveyed its message of protest to Beijing through diplomatic channel. Onodera also mentioned that  this Chinese behavior was very dangerous as it might have caused an accident. He also said that the Chinese should show more discipline.

This incident is the second attempt by Chinese since the May 24 event. As it was scheduled to convene Japan-Australia diplomatic-defense consultation in the evening of the same day, some Japanese government source showed a view that Chinese had tried its move against Tokyo.

According to Defense Ministry, the incident occurred at airspace 300 km north of Senkaku Islands, Okinawa where Air Defense Identification Zones of Japan and China overlap and close to the intermediate line between the two countries.

The two SDF planes allegedly were in surveillance mission to monitor military activities of Chinese forces. The Chinese fighters, carrying air-to-air missiles, did not try to warn by radio.

In May 29, China claimed that a Chinese air force plane had been chased by Japanese military aircraft at as close as 10 meters in November 2013. Defense Minister Onodera immediately responded to this claim saying there was no such a fact.

China is seemingly trying to make their self-imposed ADIZ as an accomplished fact by repeating scrambles.■

★New Engine for Future Fighter Development in Progress

Ground Test of Engine for Advanced Fighter Underway

June 4, 2014

compiled from press release of Technical Research and Development Institute as well as other reporting

National Institute for Defense Studies, a division of Technical Research  and Development Institute, the Ministry of Defense is conducting functional test of XF5-1 a demonstration engine for forthcoming advanced technological demonstrator-X (ATD-X). The engine weighs 644 Kg  or 1,420 lb with thrust power of about 5 tons (11,200 lb).

As the first indigenous low-bypass turbofan engine with afterburner, XF5-1 achieves world’s top class in weight-thrust ratio.

The proving test is being conducted in Sapporo, Hokkaido, by simulating various air flow situations at altitudes and speeds to confirm constant and transient performances as well as restart in air.

The tests are to achieve first flight of ATD-X; its development will be completed in 2016 with flight testing by Air Self Defense Force.

XF5-1 mounted on high altitude performance test bed

(Photo: Technical Research  and Development Institute, Ministry of Defense)

XF5-1’s afterburner in work

(Photo: Technical Research  and Development Institute, Ministry of Defense)

Chinese Fighters Flew Too Close to Japan Self Defense Force Aircraft on East China Sea

Chinese Fighter Aircraft Scrambled to Japan’s Self Defense Force Aircraft over East China Sea

compiled from Kyodo, Asahi Shimbun and NHK reporting

25 May 2014 by the editor

Su-27 fighter photographed by Ministry of Defense on May 24

Japan’s Defense Ministry announced two aircraft of its Defense Forces flying over East China Sea were approached by Chinese fighter aircraft up to tens of meters. The Ministry said the site of this unusual encounter took place at overlapping areas of Air Defense Identification Zones installed by Tokyo and Beijing respectively and .the Japanese aircraft did not violate Chinese airspace.

The Ministry said two Su-27 armed with white, or live, missiles approached to Maritime Self-Defense Force OP-3C, imagery information gathering aircraft around 1100hrs local  and to Air Self Defense Force YS-11EB, electronic reconnaissance plane at around 1200 hrs on May 24. One of the Chinese fighters flew as close as  50 meters to OP-3C and 30 meters to YS-11EB.

Defense  Minister Itsunori Onodera issued a comment that it was a dangerous act of flying by Chinese aircraft that might have led to an accidental trouble. Onodera also said the crew of Japanese planes could see live missiles under the wings of the Chinese fighters and feel ‘a certain tension’ to continue their flights. Tokyo has protested to Beijing through its diplomatic mission in Japan.

The two Japanese aircraft were flying to monitor an on-going naval exercise between Chinese and Russian navies.

Su-27s came from behind two Japanese aircraft respectively. Japanese Defense Ministry revealed that the Chinese did not transmit any radio warning.

In the mean time, the Chinese Defense Department said on May 25 that the Japanese military aircraft were trying to ‘monitor and interrupt’ Sino-Russo joint naval exercise and China dispatched its aircraft for identification  and preventive measures as the Japanese aircraft had entered in Air Defence Identification Zone.■

777 Likely As The Next Govt Planes

Government Likely to Pick Boeing 777 as the Next Official Aircraft, Weighing Japan-US Alliance More

Monday April 21,2014 from Sankei Shimbun

Sankei Shimbun reported that the government of Japan is the final stage of procedures to introduce Boeing 777 as the replacement of Boeing 747 fleet for the next government official aircraft. The new aircraft will be delivered in fiscal 2019. Tokyo intends to show its commitment for stronger alliance with Washington by rejecting other choices including larger aircraft by Airbus.

Since last year, relevant government branches including the Cabinet Secretariat, Defense Ministry and Air Self Defence Force were studying the selection and reached to a final selection based on flight range, fuel efficiency, safety and overall flight records. The report says it will be coming summer when the Tokyo government will announce the introduction formally.

Boeing’s other aircraft, 787, was not selected as the aircraft cannot provide with needed space for PM’s working office and the attendants. Airbus A350 will be able to fly nonstop to the eastern coast of US but 777 was selected as made in US product as a symbol of Japan-US alliance.

The report does not tell how many aircraft will be introduced but the government has appropriated a budget of JPY 135.5 billion (about USD 1.3 billion) as expenses for introduction of the next government aircraft for fiscal 2014 budget.■

Japan Watches Rise of Russian Air Operations Around its Homeland

Joint Staff Office of the Ministry of Defense has issued a series of press releases dealing with flights of Russian aircraft near Japanese airspace in this month, showing more active operations of Russian ISR.

April 16: Russian Il-20 electronic reconnaissance aircraft flying on the Sea of Japan. (Joint Staff Office of the Ministry of Defense picture)

April 16---A couple of Russian IL-20 electronic reconnaissance aircraft flew the Sea of Japan and Pacific Ocean routes separately and Japan responded by scrambling of its Air Self Defense Force fighters. One of them reached closer to the Kanto region where Tokyo and central functions of Japan’s political and economical activities are concentrated flying southern course from the northern territory. Another example flew between Takeshima and Oki Islands at the Sea of Japan side to the Korean peninsula and then changed its course to the north.

April 15----A total of six Russian  aircraft were detected flying around Japanese homeland.

April 14---Four Russian aircraft flew around Japan.

April 13---A Russian Il-20 entered Japan’s Air Defense Identification Zone and responded by scrambling of Air Self Defense Force’s interceptors. Defense Ministry said the aircraft flew on the Sea of Japan and headed for north from the west of Hokkaido island.

April 7---Two Tu-142 patrol aircraft were found flying on the Sea of Japan and Japan launched its fighters.

April 5--- Two Il-38 maritime patrol aircraft were detected and Air Self Defense Force scrambled its fighter jets.

The Defense Ministry is closely watching Russian air operations as its air force has intensified its operations after North Korea launched intermediate ballistic missiles on 26 March.

April 7: Tu-142 patrol aircraft flying on the Sea of Japan. (Joint Staff Office, the Ministry of Defense)

April 5: Russian Il-38 found over the Sea of Japan. (Joint Staff Office of the Ministry of Defense picture)

Mistubishi Heavy Is Serious to Commit to MRJ Full Production

MRJ: Mitsubishi Getting Ready for Series Production With New Plants Nearby Nagoya Airport

from SankeiBiz and various sources 2014/2/13

Mitsubishi Heavy Industry, majority stockholder of Mitsubishi Aircraft, announced its readiness to undertake full-fledged production of Mitsubishi Regional Jet (MRj) due to fly in 2015.  The plans include construction of a new plant for final assembly nearby Nagoya Airport, Aichi as well as new manufacturing facilities in its existing plants such as its Kobe Shipyard, Hyogo and Matsuzaka Plant, Mie.

1. At Kobe Shipyard, its excess space after withdrawing from commercial vessel building would be turned into production assembly line of its wings, wing box, skin surface treatment and painting. Matsuzaka Plant which used to produce car air conditioners would be assigned to produce MR J's tail wings. Mitsubishi’s plants in Aichi is busy with projects for Boeing 787 and the company plans to utilize other available plants out of Aichi.
2. Fuselage and wings assembly would take place at Tobishima Plant, Aichi; a new plant for final assembly would be erected nearby Komaki South Plant which is adjacent to Nagoya Airport and currently engaging in assembly work of prototype aircraft.
3. Flight testing would use both Nagoya Airport and Kitakyushu Airport, Fukuoka.
4. MRJ, developed by Mitsubishi Aircraft would be produced by Mitsubishi Heavy: first flight is being planned in the second quarter of 2015 and the first delivery in the second quarter of 2017 to its launch customer All Nippon Airways. Its backlog is more than 300 now and Mitsubishi wishes to get more orders with full-fledged production capabilities. Mitsubishi has not got any new order in the past year as potential customers could not be convinced of MRJ production capacity.
5. Regional jet market has a big potential as airliners need to replace their aging aircraft and Mitsubishi wants to get a good share of the pie.

Global Hawk Watches Threats from China by Japan-US Joint Operations

Japan shares Global Hawk ISR mission data with US to counter Chinese Military Demonstration

from Sankei Shimbun 2013.12.2 08:02

Japanese and U.S. governments are working jointly to share the information gathered by RQ-4 Global Hawks operated by the two countries  assuming the Japanese Air Self-defense Force will introduce the unmanned ISR platform.

1. The two country’s air forces will share infrastructure to maintain the aircraft in Japan possibly at Misawa Air Base in northern Japan.  This is an attempt to increase air surveillance capability to Chinese aircraft and ships as they are intensifying explicit demonstrations of power over the East China Sea as shown by setting up their Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) over disputed area.
2. Japanese Defense Ministry is requesting JPY 200 million for study of the aircraft in FY 2014 budget proposal and will introduce Global Hawks in fiscal 2015.
3. As China is insisting to set up another ADIZ in South China Sea as well, Washington and Tokyo have judged it is imperative to share more information in order to respond to any provocation by keeping constant watch of air/sea areas in East and South China Seas by Global Hawks.
4. Ground stations for Global Hawks call for high-level technologies for processing and analysis of huge amount of data received using the equipment are highly classified. JASDF will depend on U.S. counterpart for data processing and analysis via satellites at the start, meaning information gathered by Japan would be processed by U.S. ground stations, while, in return, Japan will ask U.S. to share information gathered by U.S. by the standard of fairness.
5. USAF will move one of three RQ-4s stationed in Andersen Air Base to Misawa Air Base  in spring time of 2014 temporarily; this particular airframe will be assigned to ISR missions in East China Sea including Senkaku Islands.

ANA Gets More New Slots at Haneda Next Year

   

Dispute over Who Gets More International Flight Slots at Expanded Haneda:

Gov’t Decision in Favor of ANA

All Nippon Airways, Japan Airlines, Tokyo Haneda Int’l Airport   

October 2, 2013, various sources

Sankei Shimbun reported today as follows: For allocation of newly available slots for international flights at Tokyo’s Haneda International Airport, which is due to complete a new expansion project by the end of March, 2014, Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) is allegedly giving more slots to ANA than JAL.

Newly available are designated for international arrival/departure slots during ‘daytime’ i.e. 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. at the gateway to Tokyo city center and MILT is going to allocate a total of 16 slots to Japanese carriers. These slots are supposed to be used for European trunk lines as well as shorter routes for Asian destinations including China and Indonesia. Allegedly ANA will be given around 10 slots at the final stage of coordination by MILT.

International slots are known for high profitability and it is said a daytime slot can generate annual revenues of about 10 billion yen (100 million U.S. dollars).  ANA has been claiming that the airliner deserves to receive more slots than Japan Airlines that was rescued by public funding from its bankruptcy. and the gap of corporate performance was artificially widened between the two carriers  JAL reacted to this ANA’s request by saying ‘a fair competition calls for an equal distribution of the slots.’

MLIT, on the other hand, has judged that ‘awarding of an official support should not distort a competitive environment into an inappropriate manner’ and will permit ANA to get two slots for German destinations and one slot for Canadian destination to ANA.. Nihon Keizai Shimbun reported ANA will receive 11 slots and JAL will get 5 slots

ANA Looks Myanmar Market by Acquiring Local Airline

   

   

from Yomiuri Shimbun, August 27,2013   

            

ANA Holdings, a parent company of All Nippon Airways www.ana.co.jp has decided to buy 49% of equity of a new carrier in Myanmar, called Asian Wings Airways (www.asianwingsair.com).

ANA aims at to capture rapidly-growing passenger traffic in the South East Asian market. This would be the first case of foreign investment to Myanmar’s civil aviation after shifting of administrative authority from the military.

ANA’s equity is estimated JPY3 billion (USD 30 million) and would be paid up until the end of March 2014. Asian Wings, located in Yangon, the largest city of Myanmar, flies to major cities in the country. It was founded in 2011 and plans to fly international routes soon.

Reflecting strong business interest of Japan to Myanmar these days, ANA launched Narita-Yangon flights in last October; it will expand its capacity by changing to larger aircraft while increasing frequency from three flights every week to daily.  With this capital equity acquisition, ANA will be able to use the domestic network of Asian Wings for transfer passengers from Japan.

       

A New AWACS Squadron in Okinawa Will Beef up Air Defense in Controvertial Waters

More Eyes to Alert Intruders to Senkaku Islands  with  New Airborne Early Warning Squadron in Okinawa; Ministry of Defense

from MSN Sankei News August 22 ,2013

Credit: Japan Air Self-Defense Force

Ministry of Defense seemingly decided  to create a new early warning squadron consisting of E-2C AWACS at Naha Air Base as the ministry will submit its budget plans to procure equipments in fiscal 2014 budget plans. As more cases of Chinese aircraft approaching to the Japanese territorial airspace over the East China Sea has been observed, the Ministry seemingly has decided to reinforce air early warning and monitoring capabilities.

E-2Cs, however, are getting obsolete after three decades have passed since the introduction, the Ministry will study its successor in fiscal 2015 budget. As for another asset of AWACS, E-767 will be installed with upgraded systems.  

 A total of 13 E-2Cs are stationed in Misawa Air Base while E-767 AWACS is operated from Hamamatsu Air Base.

 Since Senkaku Islands were declared as national property in last September, a sudden jump in frequency of Chinese fighter planes or ISR assets are being found to approach the Japanese airspace over East China Sea.  For instance, Air Self-Defense Force fighters doubled its scrambling cases to approaching Chinese aircraft since previous year, counting 306 this year  in total a record high.

Air Self-Defense Force employs both E-2C and E-767 AWACS since last September in Okinawa seas; AWACS flew from Hamamatsu but E-2C’s range made necessary to station at Naha and so far four examples are being operated from the Okinawa base. Normally it would be around 20 sorties annually but the number reached to close to 250 since last September to March.

 However, infrastructure for maintenance of E-2C at Naha Air Base is poor and it has been wanted for prompt improvement of its support functions. With the creation of new flight squadron, almost half of E-2C fleet will fly from Naha.

The new unit would increase early warning capabilities of Japanese air force in its southwest corner of territory and would be taken as a warning to China.

777 CLOSEST FOR NEXT GOV’T AIRCRAFT SELECTION

   

Compiled From Yomiuri Shimbun reporting on July 19, 2013

The government of Japan is planning to retire two Boeing 747-400 government’s own aircraft in fiscal 2018 and replace them by two new aircraft in the following year.

The newspaper has learned from pleural government sources in July 18 that it would request a part of budget to acquire in advance for fiscal 2014, assuming a choice of Boeing 777 having a similar transportation capacity with 747 but superior in fuel efficiency.

Current pair of Govt aircraft was introduced in 1991 and are being operated by Japan Air Self Defense Force while its maintenance, repair and overhaul as well as crew training are entrusted to Japan Airlines. The aircraft has been used in state visits by the Imperial family as well as Prime Ministers; they are also deployed to emergency flights such as transportation of rescued expatriates and bodies of the victims in Algerian assault incident in last January.

Internal study of the next aircraft within the government was prompted by JAL’s retirement of all its 747 fleet  by 2010 as JAL looked 747s were inferior in fuel consumption rate.

The decision making has been postponed as new aircraft acquisition may provoke negative reactions from taxpayers as the government is readying to raise tax rate and ask them to burden higher. However, as JAL’s support would end in fiscal 2018 and procurement of new aircraft calls for a certain lead time, the government finally decided to place order within the next fiscal year.

Estimated cost of the acquisition is JPY 100 billion (USD 1 billion) for two examples including special conversion works.

Notes

1. All of ANA’s 747 fleet will be retired by March 2014, leaving NCA cargo airline the only operator of 747 in Japan.

2. Once 787 was rumored to be a candidate, so were MRJ Mitsubishi Regional Jets. However, as for the latter, its range is too short and it would rather be a sign of commitment by the government to support the indigenous airliner development.

3. Japanese aerospace industry  has been participating in 777 from development stage to current production  accounting  for 21% of the works of 777.