Japan and SK want a 5th gen fighter that can go toe to toe against the Chinese. So do we.
Are you seriously going to use this? Both Japan and South Korea want a fighter that fits into their planned force structure and enables them to counter threats expected. You do realize that it is entirely possible for 2 nations with a similar threat to have a different capability requirement depending upon their ultimate objective and force set-up? Expect the home grown fighters to offer a complementing capability to the F-35 with the level of capability depending upon the ambitions of the projects. Also expect these fighters to be Integrated with the F-35 and not just interoperable. This is the major driver of the F-35 fleets in the Pacific with Australia, USAF, USN, USMC, and Japan bringing together their assets and calling for ASSET INTEGRATION and not just interoperability as has existed with previous fighters (F-18 with F-15, F-16 with F-2 etc).
Japan already has a great relationship with us
They only removed HAL from Blacklist like last week, I do not think they have any working relationship with HAL.
I refer you to Modi and Abe following each other on Twitter
So thats all that is required for the "stars to align" and a joint fighter program being kicked off?
Cost is a huge issue for 5th gen fighter projects. For Japan, and for South Korea, our participation would guarantee success in keeping costs down.Neither country could afford a JSF style disaster
How will costs be kept down when the entire objective of the programs is to fund production from domestic aerospace sector? They want to make the darn thing in Japan and South Korea, not co-design the thing and outsource most of the production to India.
I know Japan won't be getting an US engine
Japan need not make a decision until 2018. Currently the program is a scaled program that de-risks the eventual program that kickstarts around 2018. Its too early to tell which direction that program will take.
And South Korea has yet to decide whether it would prefer the EuroJet engine.
Want to bet that they'll choose either GE or P&W?
Japan originally wanted the F-22, and was rejected. And South Korea is embarking on this program to get away from the US
The geopolitical situation is different than when the F-22 was denied. Back then there was no 5th generation threat in the region. Come the 2020's and there would be multiple 5th generation fighters flying in that region.
And South Korea is embarking on this program to get away from the US
South Korea is designing the fighter totally in line with their aerospace industry's maturity. Following the T/F-50 the new project and the level of its ambitions makes perfect sense. Both Japan and South Korea will be vital US kit operators well into the 2040's and 50's with the F-35 (With Japan assembling and producing certain aspects of in house), and the F-15 program (and the F-16 modernization program for the ROKAF). Lockheed is involved in both the projects as both these air-forces demanded lockheed's tunnel data and design validation studies on 5th generation aircraft as a part of the F-35 offset deal. Moreover, US OEM's will be competing for the ROKAF engine contracts and it would be quite likely that US OEM involvement in the NG Korean fighter may resemble the level of involvement in the T/F-50 program especially if the T-50 is selected for the T-X program of the USAF.
That's fairly weak. Neither Japan nor SK can afford to waste billions. Cost is our huge advantage, and their massive weakness. Both sides know this. Also, independence from the US is the primary objective. Bharat also doesn't want to rely on the US. We have a lot in common
The point of both these programs is to gain aerospace - independence and being able to design and produce advanced military fighters with minimal assistance from outside. One major concern is to bring up the aerospace industry in Japan and Soko. They will be producing the fighter in their home nations through their own aerospace industry. They won't co-design and then offload the expensive production to HAL and India. It makes absolutely no sense. Similarly a partnership with HAL would also make little sense since an outside partner has to bring aerospace-expertise much above the level existing internally (or else its "doing it" just for the sake of doing it). Both Japan and South Korea have design experience, South Korea has the T/F-50 that they have mass produced, co-designed and delivered for export. There is little logic in them seeking a partnership with HAL and it would be much wiser for them to seek to align with a Lockheed or Airbus (or Boeing, Dassault etc) that bring a much higher level of expertise and experience into the picture.
From what we know currently, both of them (J and SK) demanded and received a lot of 5th generation design data form lockheed martin as a part of their F-35 negotiations. How much assistance each of them requires over and above this will probably be decided as these projects mature and develop. South Korea appears to have decided on the propulsion and taking it from the available options in the international market. Here they will most likely pick either GE or P&W with whom they have a working relationship. Japan need not make a firm decision on the F-3 until the technology demonstrator (ATDX) has matured and verified a lot of its modeling. Current estimates suggest that Japan will be making a call on the F-3 around 2018-2019 and this is the same timeframe where the USN will be embarking (or would have finalized the vendor down-select) on an RFP for the FA-X fighter. Its entirely possible that the USN goes it alone on the FA-X and Japan embarks on the F-3 basing it on a lot of the technologies it has matured in the ATDX. Even if Japan goes ahead with a totally new F-3 i don't see them totally doing away with the F-2 model but only scaling it down and making it more JAPANESE then JOINT.
Not even those indulging in fiction will predict that India,Japan and South Korea partner on a military project or that South Korea and japan partner on anything remotely connected to national security and advanced aerospace. Ignoring this, I see little benefit for Japan to work with HAL on the F-3.
The argument that the AMCA and the F-3 should be similar because both are designed around he chinese threat completely ignores basic common sense. I'll leave it at that !