Japan Set to Test Stealth Jet as Abe Boosts Defense Focus
- Japan poised to be fourth country to fly own stealth jet
- Move would build on Abe's push to bolster Japan's military
Why Japan Wants Its Own Stealth Jet
This article is for subscribers only.
Japan is closing in on becoming the fourth nation to test fly its own stealth jet, a move that could further antagonize neighboring Asian countries who’ve opposed Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s bid to strengthen the role of its armed forces.
The aircraft is scheduled to make its maiden flight in the first quarter of 2016, Hirofumi Doi, a program manager at the Ministry of Defense, said in an interview in Tokyo. The plane, called Advanced Technology Demonstrator X, will then be handed over to the nation’s self-defense forces, which will start conducting their own tests, he said.