Eurofighter could be offered to Japan

Posted on: May. 23rd, 2006 || Source: flightglobal.com | E-mail Article | Print Article

The Eurofighter consortium is looking at options to develop a Japanese-specific variant of the Typhoon as one possible approach to contesting Tokyo's expected medium-term competition to replace its Mitsubishi/McDonnell Douglas F-4EJ fighters.

The plan would have close parallels to Japan’s development of the Mitsubishi F-2 fighter based on Lockheed Martin’s F-16, the company says, and could involve significant technology transfer to Japan.

Japanese requirements for a major domestic industry role in its military aircraft programmes, coupled with constitutional prohibitions on its participation in the international arms trade, is prompting exploration of a wide array of alternative approaches. Eurofighter says it does not believe Japan would see licence-manufacturing arrangements for the basic Eurofighter model as an acceptable industrial option.

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