"Japanese Stealth Demonstrator To Fly This Year" Topic

"Speaking to the foreign affairs and defense committee of Japan's upper house, defense minister Itsunori Onodera has confirmed that the Mitsubishi ATD-X (advanced technology demonstrator-experimental) future fighter demonstrator is on course to fly later this year, albeit with a slight delay. Originally to have been unveiled to the media in May, the ATD-X is now a few months behind schedule but should be revealed later this year, with a first flight to follow soon afterwards.

ATD-X is a project led by the defense ministry's TRDI (Technical Research and Development Institute), with Mitsubishi as main contractor. The aim of the program is to build an experimental aircraft for evaluating the maturity and integration of advanced airframe and engine technologies for future fighters. The aircraft is also colloquially known as the "Shinshin" (spirit of the heart).

In late 2005 an ATD-X mock-up was used for radar cross-section tests at a range in France, and in the following year a one-fifth-scale radio-controlled model was built to test high-angle-of-attack controllability. Preliminary results from these trials led to a decision to proceed with a flying ATD-X demonstrator program in 2007, and a year later the mock-up was shown publicly for the first time at the Japan aero show…"
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Amicalement
Armand

A stealth demonstrator seems to be an odd concept!

Why would the Japanese want to buy the F-22?
We can't seem to make a decent airplane anymore.

Knock yourselves out Japan.