Japan wants avionics, radar, and electronic warfare (EW) upgrades for its powerful F-15J jet fighter
TOKYO – The U.S. State Department in late October 2019 cleared the Japanese government to spend up to $4.5 billion upgrading 98 Boeing F-15J jet fighters to a new and greatly-improved standard it calls the Japanese Super Interceptor (JSI). The National Interest reports. Continue reading original article
The Military & Aerospace Electronics take:
10 Jan. 2020 -- The JSI upgrade includes a wide array of new avionics systems, including Raytheon's AN/APG-82(V)1 active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar and the BAE Systems AN/ALQ-239 digital electronic warfare system -- in essence, a powerful radar-jammer. The JSI also could carry new missiles.
The JSIs with avionics upgrades could fly alongside the Japanese air force’s growing fleet of stealthy Lockheed Martin F-35 Joint Strike Fighters, each type complementing the other. The U.S. Air Force meanwhile is pursuing its own, mixed force of F-15s and F-35s.
Stealth fighters are better at conventional planes at avoiding detection owing in part to their ability to carry their weapons internally. But weapons bays displace fuel, resulting in stealth fighters lacking range and payload compared to non-stealthy fighters.
Related: Air Force chooses cockpit management unit from Avalex for F-16 jet fighter avionics upgrade
Related: The F-15X jet fighter: a legacy airframe with the latest avionics, radar, and glass cockpit
John Keller, chief editor
Military & Aerospace Electronics
