Can The T-50 Trainer Fly Over Japan? [Yang Nakgyu's Defence Club]

Takaichi pushes for higher defense spending under banner of a "strong Japan"
If stalled trainer replacement speeds up, three-way race will emerge

The domestically produced T-50 advanced trainer aircraft is taking on the skies over Japan. The Japan Air Self-Defense Force is pursuing a project to replace its domestically produced T-4 advanced trainer, and momentum is expected to build now that the Sanae Takaichi Cabinet, which advocates a "strong Japan," has taken office.

A Black Eagles pilot is explaining the T-50B aircraft to Miyazaki Masahisa, Vice Minister of Defense, and other officials from Japan's Ministry of Defense and the Japan Air Self-Defense Force. Photo by Air Force Yonhap News

The Sanae Takaichi Cabinet has declared that it will raise defense spending to 3.5% of GDP. It plans to complete revisions within this year to the so-called "three security documents": the National Security Strategy, the National Defense Strategy, and the Defense Buildup Program. Over the next five years, the Takaichi administration intends to inject approximately 100 trillion yen (about 945 trillion won) in defense spending to build an offensive defense posture focused on deterring China.

Serious aging of about 160 remaining domestic T-4s

The most urgent project for the Japan Air Self-Defense Force is the replacement of its domestically produced T-4 advanced trainer. The T-4 advanced trainer is a two-seat tandem aircraft. It has been in operational deployment since the 1980s, and about 160 units are still in service. Like our Air Force's Black Eagles, the Air Self-Defense Force operates an aerobatic team called "Blue Impulse," which uses the T-4 advanced trainer. The problem is aging. In mid-May last year, a T-4 trainer crashed. It took off from Komaki Air Base of the Air Self-Defense Force in Aichi Prefecture, Japan, then went down, killing both crew members. The cause of the accident was the aging of the airframe.

Joint development with the United States declared, then abruptly abandoned

Japan's trainer replacement project has been dragging on. The reason is a vacillating approach to how to proceed. Japan initially had joint development with the United States in mind. It decided that Japan would introduce a derivative of the T-7A, which the United States is developing as its next-generation advanced trainer, and pursue the project as a joint development. After a summit at the White House, former President Joe Biden and former Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida announced that they had agreed to jointly develop and produce a jet trainer to succeed the T-4 Air Self-Defense Force trainer. Japan's stance then suddenly changed. It shifted course from joint development to direct overseas procurement. Since astronomical development and mass-production costs are expected to be poured into the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP), under which the United Kingdom, Italy, and Japan are jointly developing a sixth-generation fighter, it appears that there was not enough budget left to jointly develop and mass-produce a supersonic advanced trainer with the United States.

A Black Eagles T-50B aircraft is being guided by a maintenance technician as it taxis to the runway to participate in the World Defense Show (WDS) in Saudi Arabia. Photo by Air Force Yonhap News

At a regular briefing, former Japanese Defense Minister Gen Nakatani, when asked about the trainer situation mentioned in the joint statement from the U.S.-Japan summit, said, "There is no concrete acquisition plan," adding, "From the perspective of efficiently training pilots for state-of-the-art fighters and building a competitive defense industry, we are conducting an in-depth review of renewing the aircraft."

Competing with Boeing of the United States and Leonardo of Italy

Last year, Japan closed the submission period for Requests for Information (RFI) for the selection of a successor to the T-4. It is known that the Acquisition, Technology & Logistics Agency is currently reviewing the related materials. Although the companies that received the RFI have not been disclosed, Boeing's T-7A from the United States, Leonardo's M-346 from Italy, and Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI)'s T-50 advanced trainer have been widely mentioned as strong candidates. If the T-50 throws down the gauntlet in the Japanese advanced trainer program, its joint developer Lockheed Martin will step forward. Lockheed Martin has even showcased a "Japan-type T-50," namely the "TF-50," at a Japanese defense exhibition. If Japan chooses the TF-50, South Korea will manufacture Japan's supersonic advanced trainer under subcontract from Lockheed Martin.

South Korea's aerobatic team the Black Eagles T-50B formation is landing at Naha Air Base in Okinawa, Japan, an intermediate stopover, on the 28th. Photo by the Air Force, Yonhap News

The atmosphere is not unfavorable. The M-346 trainer developed by Italy's Alenia Aermacchi is known to face resistance in Japan because it was modeled after the Yak-130, a combined advanced trainer and light attack aircraft developed by Russia's Yakovlev Design Bureau. The same is true for Boeing's T-7A. It has experienced issues such as wing rock phenomena and defective ejection seats, while development costs keep rising. On top of that, Boeing is suffering massive losses due to problems such as defects in its 737 airliners, prompting concerns in Japan that, if it embarks on joint development, the project could end up becoming Boeing's "cash machine."

T-50 refuels during its first visit to a Japanese base

Seizing this opportunity, the Republic of Korea Air Force's Black Eagles aerobatic team recently made a stopover at Naha Air Base of the Japan Air Self-Defense Force in Okinawa, where it refueled and held exchange events with the Self-Defense Forces. Japanese media, including the Nihon Keizai Shimbun, reported that, because there is no Acquisition and Cross-Servicing Agreement (ACSA) between South Korea and Japan, the Self-Defense Forces provided refueling support to the South Korean military for the first time based on provisions of the Self-Defense Forces Law, and that this was also the first visit of the Black Eagles to Japan. At the time, Japanese Air Force officials were reportedly highly interested in the T-50 advanced trainer. Officials from the Ministry of Defense also visited the KAI booth at the Dubai Airshow in the Middle East at the end of 2023, and at the "Singapore Airshow 2024," vice-minister-level officials from the Ministry of Defense paid two official visits to KAI to inquire about the performance of the T-50.

Momentum if it wins the U.S. Navy advanced trainer program

Industry insiders believe that if the T-50 advanced trainer is selected for the U.S. Navy's Undergraduate Jet Training System (UJTS) program, it will likely have a smooth path in Japan's trainer project as well. KAI is currently preparing for the U.S. Navy's advanced trainer program, for which a contract is expected in January 2027. There is a strong desire to avenge its defeat in the 2018 "U.S. Air Force Advanced Pilot Training (APT)" program, where it lost to Boeing and Saab's T-7A Red Hawk, which is under development.

An industry official said, "For Japan's trainer project, efforts by the defense industry are important, but key variables such as South Korea-Japan relations and trilateral South Korea-U.S.-Japan relations also play a role," adding, "A strategy in close coordination with the government is needed."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.