wispywood2344 has provided diagrams for the XF9-1 jet engine under development for Japan's future stealth air superiority fighter F-3, including sideview XF9-1 jet engine (above) and
Drawing from wispywood2344's comments and Pete's own ideas:
After the US rejected the friendly alliance measure of exporting the F-22 stealth air superiority fighter to all countries (notably Japan and Australia) countries have reacted in different ways. Japanese strategy may be to:
1. spend (or grudgingly waste) a large amount of money on developing (or reinventing a F-22 clone)
indigenous F-3 or multinational stealth air superiority fighter. This is a similar situation to the
special US nuclear assitance to the UK Agreement (1958) - but now isolationist America
downgrades alliances, despite the China threat...or
2. Japan discusses buying 25 extra 25 F-35As on top of the 42 F-35A Japan is already buying. Also
Japan might buy some F-35B carrier jump-jet aircraft purchases. Such extra money may entice
Lockheed Martin to be more cooperative in assisting the future F-3 or joint fighter project.
SUPERCRUISE JET ENGINES
Probably the most difficult aspect after full stealth integration is achieving the ability to supercruise (especially over Mach 1.5). That is remain supersonic without highly infra-red obvious afterburners. Fighters with supercruise capability include F-22, Typhoons, Gripens, Rafales and possible Su-35s (see list). Supercruise also means longer range because the high fuel use afterburner(s) are not used.
After the US rejected the friendly alliance measure of exporting the F-22 stealth air superiority fighter to all countries (notably Japan and Australia) countries have reacted in different ways. Japanese strategy may be to:
1. spend (or grudgingly waste) a large amount of money on developing (or reinventing a F-22 clone)
indigenous F-3 or multinational stealth air superiority fighter. This is a similar situation to the
special US nuclear assitance to the UK Agreement (1958) - but now isolationist America
downgrades alliances, despite the China threat...or
2. Japan discusses buying 25 extra 25 F-35As on top of the 42 F-35A Japan is already buying. Also
Japan might buy some F-35B carrier jump-jet aircraft purchases. Such extra money may entice
Lockheed Martin to be more cooperative in assisting the future F-3 or joint fighter project.
SUPERCRUISE JET ENGINES
Probably the most difficult aspect after full stealth integration is achieving the ability to supercruise (especially over Mach 1.5). That is remain supersonic without highly infra-red obvious afterburners. Fighters with supercruise capability include F-22, Typhoons, Gripens, Rafales and possible Su-35s (see list). Supercruise also means longer range because the high fuel use afterburner(s) are not used.
Significantly the F-35 is too underpowered to truly supercruise. The F-35 is considerably heavier (ie. poorer power to weight ratio) than single engine lightweight fighters (especially the F-16) that it replaces.
China has not yet developed its WS-15 supercruise engine for its J-20 and WS-13 for its J-31 stealth aircraft projects.
The Japanese Air Force is proceeding with the deployment of F-35A as a successor to F-4 Phantoms scheduled to completely retire by around 2020.
Apart from this, since the retirement of the Mitsubishi F-2 (F-16 derivative) is scheduled to begin around 2030, the Japanese Ministry of Defense has conducted research and technology development on a future Mitsubishi "F-3" stealthy air superiority fighter as a successor.
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If Japan's pays Lockheed Martin enough maybe much F-22 intellectual property and assistance can find its way to the F-3 - probably in about 2033. (Graphics courtesy Pakistan Defence)
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As part of "F-3" technology development, production and testing of Japanese supercruise engines are in progress, with a prototype "XF9-1" due to be completed around mid 2018.[1]
The XF9-1 has been developed since 2008 with the aim to supercruise at thrust, speed and distances similar to the US F-22's F119 engine. See [2].
[1] http://www.mod.go.jp/atla/img/kousouken/news_20170628.pdf
[2] text and graphics on advanced XF9-1 jet engine
http://blog.livedoor.jp/wispywood2344/archives/55607907.html
BACKGROUND/FIGURES
wispywood2344 indicates the Japanese Ministry of Defense wishes future performance for the indigenously built XF 9-1, at sea level, can be nearly equivalent to the F-22's F 119 engine, ie:
XF 9-1
XF 9-1
- Maximum dry thrust >108 kN each.
Maximum wet thrust (afterburner) : >156 kN each
Maximum dry thrust: 116 kN each
Maximum dry thrust: 116 kN each
Maximum supercruise: Mach 1.82.
Range: 2,900 km
Combat radius: 800 km
In any case the corporate-political power of Lockheed Martin (LM) will pressure the US government and other countries to buy all the LM built F-35s possible in the 2020s. Then, in the late 2020s, LM will re-establish production lines for the F-22s countries really wanted - rather than the underpowered F-35. That is production of high spec US F-22s and low spec export F-22s to maximise US strategic market power.
Maybe by then, the attractions of Chinese competition will be too much for America's LM directed foreign export policies...
wispywood2344 and Pete