Description
The P-2J was developed as the successor to the aging JMSDF P2V-7.
The main changes were a change from reciprocating engines to turboprop engines, a 1.3-meter longer fuselage than the P2V-7, and new onboard equipment.
The engine was changed from Wright R-3350 reciprocating engine to T64-IHI-10 turboprop engine and the auxiliary engine from Westinghouse J34 to NJE J3-IHI-7C engine.
The prototype successfully completed its first flight in July 1966, and the first mass-produced aircraft was delivered in September 1969.
The P-2J proposed here is a P-2J equipped with the FLIR system, which was studied as part of the P-2J modernization and upgrade program. The first prototype phase was not allowed to have the FLIR turret installed in the nose, so it was installed in the searchlight pod position on the right wing tip for testing.
The decision to introduce the P-3C led to the cancellation of the second prototype phase, but a practical test was conducted to install the FLIR turret on the remaining P-2J, and its performance and practicality were confirmed (during the practical test the FLIR turret was installed in the nose of the aircraft.
The P-2J was never equipped with the FLIR turret due to changes in the P-2J upgrade program.
Or, if they were particularly nice, they could treat it as “SACLOS”, just as how helicopters function with the same missile.
Now that we have separate BRs, this thing could easily be added at ~4.0 or something similar in ARB & Naval where it would act as a bomber, but ~8.0 where it’s stand off capability with flir + thermals is balanced by early radar SPAA vs tanks.
TBM-3S >> S2F-1 >> P2V-7 >> P-2J >> P-3C >> P-1 would be a nice post-war bomber line.
The TBM-3S is an outlier in terms of performance, seeing as the B7A2s are superior IMO.
Otherwise, capabilities would initially start similarly to bombers such as the B-17/PB4Y/B-24, but latter planes would be able to carry more modern munitions/bombloads of ~9000kg.
The P-3 Orion has been shown to carry Sidewinders, but I’m not too sure if this capability was specifically added to a select few for testing/etc, or if this is a possibility in general.
According to hearsay, Mitsubishi’s XP-1 proposal would have supposedly carried air-to-air missiles, but as of now, the current Kawasaki P-1 does not.
Maybe we will see something pop up in the coming years as Japan continues to increase its defense budget and counter ongoing threats posed near their territory.
Both these newer planes would be difficult to fly in contested air in current game modes as they have countermeasures, but no actual offensive armament against aircraft.
