The Mitsubishi X-2 Shinshin (, formerly the ATD-X) is a Japanese experimental aircraft for testing advanced stealth fighter aircraft technologies. It is being developed by the Japanese Ministry of Defense Technical Research and Development Institute (TRDI) for research purposes. The main contractor of the project is Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. Many consider this aircraft to be Japan's first domestically made stealth fighter. ATD-X is an abbreviation for "Advanced Technology Demonstrator – X". The aircraft is widely known in Japan as  although the name itself is an early code name within the Japan Self-Defense Forces and is not officially in use. The aircraft's first flight was on 22 April 2016.

The success of this development test prototype has led to the start-up of the Mitsubishi F-X sixth-generation fighter program.

Development
At the beginning of the twenty-first century, Japan, seeking to replace its ageing fleet of fighter aircraft, began making overtures to the United States on the topic of purchasing several Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor fighters. However the U.S. Congress had banned the exporting of the aircraft in order to safeguard secrets of the aircraft's technology such as its extensive use of stealth; this rejection necessitated Japan to develop its own modern fighter, to be equipped with stealth features and other advanced systems.

A radio-controlled 1/5 scale model made its first flight in 2006 to gain data on performance at high angles of attack and to test new sensory equipment and self-repairing flight control systems.

Following these preliminary steps, the decision was taken in 2007 to push ahead with the multi billion-yen project. At the time of this decision, production was forecast to start roughly 10 years later, around 2017. In 2007, the ATD-X was expected to conduct its maiden flight in 2014. In 2011, the maiden flight was projected to take place in 2014 or 2015.

The 40 billion yen construction project in the Mitsubishi's Komaki South Plant began in 2009 under the supervision of the Acquisition, Technology & Logistics Agency (ATLA) of the Defense Ministry.  In July 2014, the TRDI (Technical Research & Development Institute) released the first official photos of the ATD-X prototype, and stated that the aircraft was undergoing ground testing. The fighter prototype was expected to be fully developed by 2018.  The ATD-X program will then lead to the Mitsubishi F-3, which should carry sixth-generation technology, and is expected to be produced in 2027.

The ATD-X prototype was officially unveiled on 29 January 2016. The aircraft's first flight was expected the following month; it carried the X-2 official military designation at the unveiling.

The X-2 made its maiden flight on 22 April 2016 taking off from Nagoya Airfield and landing at the JASDF's Gifu Air Field after a 26-minute flight. The unusually prolonged period between structural completion and first flight has not been fully explained. The Jiji News Agency reported that the X-2 has a take-off weight of ; Japanese media reported its weight as , heavy for a demonstrator of these dimensions  span and  long.

In late-November 2017, ATLA announced that the X-2's testing will be concluded in March 2018. Of the time of the reporting the X-2 has completed 34 sorties out of the original 50 planned flights.

By July 2018, Japan had gleaned sufficient information from flight tests for a determination, and decided that it would need to bring on-board international partners to complete this project.  Several companies have responded.  Lockheed Martin reportedly offered an updated version of the F-22 Raptor.  British based BAE Systems also entered talks about which little is yet reported (see Global Combat Air Programme).  Third to enter the competition was Northrop Grumman and there was speculation that it would offer a modernized version of the YF-23 to Japan.

Significance 
The X-2's development and maiden flight allowed Japan to become the fourth nation in the world to develop and test-fly their own stealth jet (after the United States, Russia and China), revitalize Japan's defense and aerospace industry, and stay competitive with regional powers China and South Korea that are also developing their own stealth fighter. Prior to the X-2 and the 2014 easing of arms export Japan's defense industry stagnated because of the arms export ban prevented Japan from exporting weapons or participate in any joint development with another country, with the exception being the United States. This in turn slows the growth of Japan's defense industry and similarly effects the aerospace industry as the lack of military aircraft development means that procurement of certain aircraft are sought elsewhere from foreign defense contractors. The X-2 is thus seen with potential to reinvigorate Japan's aerospace and defense industry. According to Hideaki Watanabe, head of the Acquisition, Technology & Logistics Agency (ATLA), the X-2 can be used to give Japan more bargaining power in future joint development projects because of its technological advancement. There is also potential that technologies developed from the X-2 can be transferred and used for civilian applications as the Mitsubishi F-2 has done prior. The F-2 (although its development is controversial) introduced the first usage of carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) and AESA radar on a fighter aircraft. CFRP material would later be used for the Boeing 787 Dreamliner and while the AESA radar technology would help produce electronic toll collection system.

Design

The X-2 will be used as a technology demonstrator and research prototype to determine whether domestic advanced technologies for a fifth generation fighter aircraft are viable. The aircraft features 3-D thrust vectoring capability. Thrust is controlled in the ATD-X by three paddles on each engine nozzle similar to the system used on the Rockwell X-31, while an axis-symmetric thrust vectoring engine is also being developed for the full-scale production model.

Among the planned features of the X-2 is a fly-by-optics flight control system, which by replacing traditional wires with optical fibers, allows data to be transferred faster and with immunity to electromagnetic disturbance.

Its radar will be an active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar called the 'Multifunction RF Sensor', which is intended to have broad spectrum agility, capabilities for electronic countermeasures (ECM), electronic support measures (ESM), communications functions, and possibly even microwave weapon functions.

A further feature will be a so-called , which will allow the aircraft to automatically detect failures or damage in its flight control surfaces, and using the remaining control surfaces, calibrate accordingly to retain controlled flight.

The X-2 was equipped with two IHI Corporation XF5 engines for the test flights.

To minimize its radar cross-section (RCS), the X-2's body is designed to have even surfaces and eliminate seam joints. The radiation-absorbent material (RAM) used on the body is reportedly a composite material consisting of ceramic and silicon carbide and is developed by Ube Industries, while the cockpit windshield is coated with a special tin alloy. The aircraft incorporates a serpentine shaped air intake duct to further suppress radar reflection. According to Hideaki Miwa of the Defense Ministry's procurement agency, the X-2's RCS is "no bigger than a giant beetle viewed from tens of kilometers away".

Specifications (X-2)

See also

References

External links

 ATD-X Full size model Technical Research and Development Institute Ministry of Defense
 Research of Flight Control System for High Maneuver Aircraft Mitsubishi
 Full size model on display in Japan International Aerospace Exhibition 2008 ASCII.jp
 Video of prototype takeoff on 22 April 2016

ATD-X
Stealth aircraft
Twinjets
High-wing aircraft
X-2, Mitsubishi
Aircraft first flown in 2016
Three dimension thrust vectoring aircraft
Japanese experimental aircraft
미쓰비시 ATD-X 신신(, )은 일본 미쓰비시 중공업(三菱重工業)이 개발 중인 F-3 스텔스 전투기의 기술 실증기이다. 요즘엔 미쓰비시 X-2라고 부른다.

역사 
해당 기술연구본부에서 현재 선진기술실증기(先進技術實証機, Advanced Technological Demonstrator-X, ATD-X)라 칭하며 연구개발 중이며, 후에 실운용을 통하여 5세대 전투기로 사용할 수 있는지의 여부를 일본 순수기술만을 바탕으로 실증 및 확인을 하기 위한 기체라고 할 수 있다. 5세대가 아닌, 6세대 전투기 개발을 목적으로 하고 있다.

현재, 일본 방위성은 중국 공군력을 비롯한 외부의 위협에 대처하기 위해 6년 내에 스텔스 전투기 개발을 완료하겠다는 목표를 세웠으며, '신신(心神)'이라는 비공식 명칭이 붙은 본 프로젝트는 2008년 4월 공식 출범하기로 예정되었다. 총 466억 엔이 들어갈 것으로 보이는 이 프로젝트를 위해 방위성은 2008년의 프로젝트 첫 해 예산으로 157억 엔을 청구한 상태이다. 전투기가 적군 레이다에는 포착되지 않으면서 더욱 강화된 탐지 기능과 기동성을 갖추기 위한 관건은 XF5-1 엔진 개발에 달린 것으로 알려져 있다. 일본의 독자 전투기 개발은 1970년대의 미쓰비시 F-1 지원전투기 이후 개발 중이다.

형상 
설계 안은 23dmu,24dmu 등의 외형들이 쏟아졌다. 둘 다 쌍발 엔진의 스텔스 형상이라는 공통점이 있지만 23dmu의 형상은 쌍발엔진이 붙어있는 F-15와 같은 형태며 24dmu는 F-14와 같이 쌍발엔진이 서로 떨어져 있으며 그 사이에 내부 무장창을 고려할 수 있는 형태다. 둘다 장단점이 있으며 용도에 따라 쓰임새가 조금씩 달랐다. 하지만 25dmu가 등장하며 23dmu,24dmu,25dmu 이 세개가 후보가 됐다.

성능

엔진 

F-3 전투기의 실제 엔진은 일본 IHI사가 제조한 XF9-1 엔진이 사용될 것으로 보인다.

XF5 엔진과 XF9엔진 
XF5 엔진은 추력 11,000파운드의 실증기용 엔진이지만, XF9-1 엔진은 추력 33,000 파운드의 엔진으로 공표된 크기는 F-15/F-16에 탑재되는 GE F110이나 P&W의 F100과 거의 동급이고, 차세대 항공기 엔진 소재로 각광받아 신형 민항기 엔진인 GE9X와 CFM LEAP 등에 채택된 CMC(Ceramic Matrix Composite)를 적용했다.
XF9-1 엔진은 2017년까지 각 파트 성능 확인, 전체 설계도 만들기 등으로 이루어지는 기본 설계가 완료되었고, 2018년 6월 29일에 코어 엔진에 터빈과 팬, 추력을 전방향 20도 각도로 꺾을 수 있는 3차원 TVC가 통합된 프로토타입 엔진이 납품되었다. 이후 삿포로 시험장에서 2019년 말까지 운전 시험이 진행될 예정이며 로드맵에 따르면 실용 엔진 완성과 양산 시작 시기는 2025년으로 예정되어 있다.

레이다 

AESA 레이다가 탑재될 것으로 보인다.4세대 전투기인 F-2 전투기도 AESA를 탑재한 전례가 있는데, 미쓰비시 F-2 전투기는 J/APG-1을 장착하고 있다. 일본에서 새로 개발하고 있는 J/APG-2 레이다를 장착할 것으로 보인다.

부품 제조사 
부품은 대부분 일본 제조사들이 제조한다. 엔진부터 레이다까지 모두 일본 방산업체들이 뛰어들었다.

  - [엔진] - IHI사

  - [레이다] - 미쓰비시

  - [전자장비] - NEC사

  - [조종석] - 가와사키사

관련보도 

 2011년 3월 8일 AP 통신 "방위성 고위 관료, ATD-X는 순탄하게 진행중."

 2015년 봄, 비행실험을 할 예정이었으나, 개발 과정에서 엔진 제어시스템에 장애가 발생해 연기됐다.

 2015년 3월 17일 일본 언론 "일본 정부는 독자개발하기로 굳힌것으로 보여."

 2016년 4월 11일 활주로 활주

 2016년 4월 22일, 초도비행 성공
 2016년 11월 30일, 실전배치 초도비행 성공

제원 (X-2) 
일반 특성
 승무원: 1
 길이: 14.174 m (46 ft 6 in)
 날개폭: 9.099 m (29 ft 10 in)
 높이: 4.514 m (14 ft 10 in)
 체공중량: 9,700 kg (21,385 lb)
 엔진: 2 × IHI XF5-1 low-bypass 터보팬 dry, 48.03 kN (11,023 lbf) 애프터버너
 최대속도: Mach 2.25 (Mach 1.82 슈퍼크루즈)
 거리: 2,900 km (1,802 mi; 1,566 nmi)
 전투반경: 761 km (473 mi; 411 nmi)
 항속거리: 3,200 km (1,988 mi; 1,728 nmi)

같이 보기 
 스텔스
 일본 항공자위대
 선양 J-XX(Shenyang J-XX)
 청두 J-20(Chengdu J-20)
 KF-21
 대한민국 차세대전투기 사업(KFX)
 http://www.geronimo.jp/sky/00_page/mani_05_sinsin.htm

각주

외부 링크 
 2014년 心神(ATD-X)의 연구개발 사진링크

일본의 전투기
2016년 첫 비행한 항공기
쌍발 제트기
미쓰비시 자동차의 차종
고익기