According to this, 2 prototypes of the ASM-3 Improved have been finished, and will be tested in this month, August 2026 !
Can’t wait to get more info about it :D.
I think I’ll try to make a suggestion about it, following my ASM-3A one.
a bid solicitation from ATLA’s Gifu Test Center was posted around March 2, 2026 and was procuring flight-test support services specifically for performance verification testing (launch testing) of ASM-3 (Kai), for fiscal year Reiwa 7 (which runs through March 2026, but the launch campaign itself extends into the following months).
Is this an error, or by MFD they also mean radar screens? If so, does anyone have any info how it could look like - can’t find any images on the net.
Plus fingers crossed that they use this opportunity to finally correct the f-1 cockpit itself…
Edit. Ok did some more research and apparently it’s supposed to be similar to radar on british phantoms but you can still correct me if I’m wrong
Those flare pods are used mainly to illuminate the night sky for ground troops. Could still work as a Anti-AAM Flare in a pinch though. Since the F-1 is a T-2 derivative both could get them
Edit: I did find mentions of the SUU-25 using multiple flare variants including proper decoy flares however i’m still yet to find any sources on it
Very little. Issue is less with fitting the missiles in, and more of fitting the electronics in / convincing the US to allow it.
(Also FYI, JP F-35’s aren’t F-35Js, they’re F-35A/B, or sometimes called F-35JSF, more often for the A then the B, but not exclusively, as it just refers to the F-35 program in general. JSF standing for Joint Strike Fighter, which was the international project name of the F-35.)
Best chance at variety for these might be JNAAM if they allow prototype weapons. It’s a joint British-Japanese missile using the Meteor body and a new Japanese AESA seeker.
Only issue is while it was prototyped and intended for the F-35 (and each nations respective next generation aircraft project) it was cancelled before it got to ever be mounted on an F-35. The Meteor is integrated now though, so there’s at least a small chance they allow this too.
