Japan's strength in the field of aircraft engines is not to be underestimated. In recent years, they proudly announced the development of Asia's first aircraft engine with a thrust of 17 tons, surpassing the US F119 engine.
Back then, the country based its efforts on the Pratt & Whitney F119 engine used in the US F-22 fighter, striving to develop the new XF9-1 turbofan engine for the Wyvern fighter.
However, Japan's sudden announcement surprised many.
Looking back at this history now, it no longer stirs much controversy, as the reasons are well known.
Reportedly, the IHI Corporation of Japan produced the XF9-1 turbofan engine, measuring 4.8 meters in length with an intake fan diameter of 1 meter.
Tests related to this showed turbine inlet temperatures reaching up to 1800 degrees.
Japan's unique metal material, ceramic-based composite, was highlighted in promotions, claiming to enhance turbine operation temperatures—a technology Japan is said to possess in mass production capability.
Without afterburner, the engine achieves a maximum thrust of 11 tons, capable of reaching 15 tons, and pushing the limit to 17 tons.
Of course, in the coming years, Japan might acknowledge and apologize for any inaccuracies, but for now, they have discarded these old tactics and no longer shift blame.
For a long time, Japan held licenses for producing engines like the F-100 and F-110, and continues efforts to obtain advanced technologies from major sources like the United States.
In the early 1980s, Ishikawajima-Harima Heavy Industries, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, and Kawasaki Heavy Industries jointly formed the Japan Aircraft Engine Association, establishing a relatively mature division of labor system for manufacturing aircraft engines.
By the 2000s, Japan reportedly possessed the capability to undertake the design and manufacturing of core components for world-class advanced engines.
In the Boeing 767 project, Japan undertook 15% of the workload, increasing to 35% in the Boeing 787 project.
For the Boeing 787 engine selection, Japanese companies accounted for over 15% of the workload for the GEnx engine, designing and manufacturing core equipment such as combustion chamber casings, low-pressure turbines, and high-pressure compressor blades.
Especially in the manufacturing of complex engine spindles, Japan holds a competitive advantage globally:
Currently, Ishikawajima-Harima Heavy Industries claims over 70% market share for engine spindles exceeding 3 meters in size.
Additionally, Japan leads in the development of high-performance alloy turbine blades for aircraft engines with the United States, continuously breaking durability records under extreme high-temperature conditions.
The "Trent 1000" engine used in the Boeing 787 incorporates turbine blades developed in Japan using alloy materials, alongside silicon carbide fiber materials.
Presently, only Japan and the United States achieve large-scale production of these materials, with companies like Japan Carbon and Ube Industries having capacities exceeding 100 tons annually.
Moreover, Japan holds a significant position in the global market for high-performance carbon fiber materials, with companies like Toray, Toho, and Mitsubishi Rayon claiming over 70% market share in carbon fiber composite blades for high-performance turbofan engines.
Japan's advanced research and development capabilities in civil and military aviation sectors cannot be underestimated, collaborating with countries like Italy on designing and constructing next-generation fighters, requiring vigilance from us.
However, I have long believed that Japan still lacks overall research and development capabilities in aircraft engines.
While they can manufacture components and materials, their technological dominants are still countries like the United States.
Aircraft engine development is a systems engineering task, where materials are just one part.
Engine design requires theoretical support first, followed by the realization of material performance through continuous experimentation, problem discovery, and lifespan improvement—a lengthy and complex process.
Certainly, despite being forced to become an ordinary country after their defeat in World War II, Japan did not cease its secretive learning for defending itself and developing military skills.
Care should be taken in facing any actions, as things are not easy.
From a strategic perspective, Japan lacks significant strategic depth in modern warfare.
In the face of hypersonic weapons, their strategic space is nearly open.
Due to economic structure and weapon market scale limitations, they cannot sustain large-scale warfare.
However, attention must still be paid to their accumulations in some areas and potential threats on tactical levels.
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