A stealth fighter jet called the X-2, which has been in development in Japan since 2009, flew for the first time on Friday, CNN has reported. The jet, built by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, is not a production design or prototype, but a technology demonstrator, which is meant as a test bed for future designs. The Japanese will fly the jet for a couple of years before deciding if they want to continue into production, according to the Japan Times. They could produce a production version by the late 2020s. Japan already is buying copies of the F-35 stealth jet from the United States, which could be cheaper than developing their own.
“The maiden flight was significant to secure the necessary capability for a next-generation fighter jet,” Defense Minister Gen Nakatani told reporters in Tokyo after the flight. “We can expect technological innovation in the aerospace industry as well as application of that technology in different fields.” The U.S. has been flying airplanes equipped with stealth technology since the 1980s.
