by Chris Pocock
Japan’s drive to produce its own fifth-generation fighter took a step forward on April 22, with the first flight of the Mitsubishi X-2. It took off from the Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) aerospace facility at Komaki airport near Nagoya and performed basic maneuvers before landing 26 minutes later at nearby Gifu airbase. The MHI test pilot described the flight as “extrememly stable.”
Commenting on the first flight, Japanese defense minister Gen. Nakatani said the X-2 development had “a very high potential for technological innovation in the entire aircraft industry and for application to other fields.” The goals of the project included the development of skilled engineers and to “clearly demonstrate the level of Japan’s aviation technology to the outside world.” He suggested that forthcoming test flights would enable the government to decide whether to proceed further by Fiscal Year 2018.
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