Japan on Friday became the fourth country to test-fly its own stealth jet, creating momentum to upgrade a lackluster domestic aerospace industry at a time when China continues to agitate in the region.
According to the Defense Ministry, the Advanced Technology Demonstrator, called X2, took off from Nagoya airport in Aichi Prefecture at 8:47 a.m. Friday morning. The demonstrator, which will undergo a further two years of testing before a decision is made on whether to develop a homegrown next-generation stealth fighter, flew about 15 kilometers and touched down at the Air Self-Defense Force¡¯s Gifu Air Field at 9:13 a.m.
¡°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.¡±
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