Japan sends companies to Singapore Airshow with eyes on foreign market

This is the largest industrial contingent outside Japan after the government relaxed post-war arms exports in 2014.

Defense NewsLeilani Chavez2024-02-21 20:08查看原文 ↗

SINGAPORE — Japan’s Defense Ministry is showcasing 13 domestic companies at the Singapore Airshow this week, among its largest industrial contingent outside the country after the government relaxed post-war arms exports in 2014.

Japanese companies have for decades focused on supplying the Japan Self-Defense Forces, but a shift in the country’s security policy has opened the local defense industry to the global market. Japan has since shipped Patriot missiles developed under a licensing agreement with the U.S., exported radars to the Philippines, and entered into a fighter jet development program with the United Kingdom and Italy.

While Japan’s ruling party has yet to modify rules currently limiting the trilateral fighter jet participation, the government has allocated funds for industry cooperation and supported major defense companies and startups in partnering with foreign counterparts.

As such, Japanese exhibits at the Singapore Airshow showcased a range of systems already in use by its armed forces, including maritime and transport aircraft, helicopters, aerospace parts, semiconductors, radars, and geostationary satellites.

“There is a lot of opportunity for Japanese companies to enter into the global market, but the problem with Japanese companies is they have no experience like foreign companies,” Hideki Fukawa, director for defense equipment cooperation planning with the ministry’s Acquisition, Technology and Logistics Agency, told Defense News. “We want to take this opportunity to showcase Japanese superiority in defense.”

Among the products on display here are a portable radar made by IT and electronics specialist NEC Corp. Japan’s forces use the technology to monitor aircraft incursions in the airspace of Kyushu and Okinawa.

Yoichi Kashima, an engineer and member of the company’s marketing staff, told Defense News the current iteration of the radar system has been monitoring Japanese airspace for the last 17 years, as it had replaced the first-generation radar of the same type, which was in service 30 years ago.

The radars last for 20 years, Kashima said, but the main selling points are its portability and the ease of setup. “It can be set up by six engineers, and it can be used within 30 minutes,” he explained.

Also at the air show is Subaru’s UH-2 multimission helicopter — aircraft the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force currently uses to protect islands, provide humanitarian assistance, and carry out disaster response as well as and search and rescue operations.

In 2022, the force revealed plans to acquire 150 UH-2 helicopters.

Japan has marketed the UH-2 for export, with the Philippines and Indonesia each expressing interest, according to Kousuke Ichinomiya, an engineer with Subaru’s aerospace division.

“The JGSDF has a very tough audit for helicopters, so this is very reliable,” Ichinomiya told Defense News.

The helicopter is powered by a pair of Pratt & Whitney PT6T-9 engines and equipped with Bell BasiX-Pro integrated avionics systems. It has a 4,500-pound cargo capacity and can be prepped for takeoff in 3 minutes even in extremely hot or cold conditions.

According to the Acquisition, Technology and Logistics Agency , other Japanese companies attending the show, and their respective offerings, include:

Asahi Metal Industry: aircraft composite parts

EdgeCortix: Edge AI inference processor

Oki Electric Industry: cockpit display

Kawasaki Heavy Industries: P-1 maritime patrol aircraft, C-2 transport aircraft and turbofan engines

Kurimoto: 3D metal modeling engine parts

Jupiter Corp.: mobile hygiene unit

SKY Perfect JSAT: satellite communication service

Takagi Steel: metal materials for aircraft

Japan Radio Co.: portable LTE base station system

Mitsufuji: electromagnetic shield and wristband-type wearable device

Leilani Chavez is an Asia correspondent for Defense News. Her reporting expertise is in East Asian politics, development projects, environmental issues and security.

新加坡——日本防卫省本周在新加坡航展上展示了13家日本国内企业，这是日本政府在2014年放宽战后武器出口限制后，在海外规模最大的工业代表团之一。

几十年来，日本企业一直专注于为日本自卫队提供装备，但随着日本安全政策的转变，本土国防工业开始向全球市场开放。此后，日本根据与美国签署的许可协议，向美国出口了“爱国者”导弹，向菲律宾出口了雷达，并与英国和意大利开展了战斗机研发合作项目。

尽管日本执政党尚未修改目前限制三方战斗机参与的规则，但政府已拨款用于产业合作，并支持主要国防公司和初创企业与外国同行建立合作关系。

因此，日本在新加坡航展上展出了其武装部队已经使用的各种系统，包括海上和运输飞机、直升机、航空航天部件、半导体、雷达和地球静止卫星。

“日本企业有很多机会进入全球市场，但问题在于它们缺乏外国企业那样的经验，”日本防卫省采办技术后勤局防卫装备合作规划主任深川秀树告诉《防卫新闻》。“我们希望借此机会展现日本在国防领域的优势。”

这里展出的产品中包括由信息技术和电子产品专家NEC公司生产的便携式雷达。日本军队利用这项技术来监控九州和冲绳空域的飞机入侵行为。

该公司的一名工程师兼市场营销人员鹿岛洋一告诉《防务新闻》，目前的雷达系统已经监控日本空域 17 年了，因为它取代了 30 年前服役的第一代同类型雷达。

鹿岛表示，这些雷达的使用寿命长达20年，但其主要卖点在于便携性和易于安装。“六名工程师即可完成安装，30分钟内即可投入使用，”他解释道。

航展上还有斯巴鲁的 UH-2 多用途直升机——日本陆上自卫队目前使用该型飞机来保护岛屿、提供人道主义援助、执行灾害应对以及搜救行动。

2022年，该部队公布了采购150架UH-2直升机的计划。

据斯巴鲁航空航天部门工程师市宫耕介称，日本已开始向出口推销 UH-2，菲律宾和印度尼西亚都表示了兴趣。

“日本陆上自卫队对直升机的审核非常严格，所以这架直升机非常可靠，”市宫告诉《防务新闻》。