Mitsubishi F-15J

[Fireraid233]

Short History
The Mitsubishi F-15J/DJ Eagle is a twin-engine, all-weather air superiority fighter based on the McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle in use by the Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF). The F-15J was produced under license by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. In June-July of 1975, Japanese officers carried out two flight evaluations of the F-15A/B Eagle at Edwards AFB as one of the 13 candidates for the replacement of the F-104J/DJ Starfighter and the F-4EJ Phantom II in JASDF service. In December of 1975, the Japanese National Defense Council announced that the Eagle had been selected to supplement and eventually replace the Lockheed F-104J Starfighters serving with the Nihon Koku Jietai (Japanese Air Self Defense Force, or JASDF). The Japanese Eagle was to be designated F-15J, with the two-seat version being F-15DJ.

Pre-MSIP

the Japanese F-15s were quite similar to the early production blocks of the USAF F-15C and D. However, Japanese Eagles were to differ from the Air Force Eagles primarily in omitting certain sensitive items of electronic countermeasures equipment, such as the ICS and EWWS sets. These were deemed to sensitive for export. In their place, provisions were made for the installation of a Japanese-built radar warning system. Among the indigenous equipment fitted to the JASDF F-15J and F-15DJ aircraft is the J/APR-4 Radar Warning Receiver (which replaced the AN/ALR-56 of the US version), the J/ALQ-8 Electronic Countermeasure suite (which replaced the AN/ALQ-135 internal countermeasures system), the AN/ALE-45 chaff/flare dispenser, and the XJ/APQ-1 radar warning system. Nuclear delivery equipment was omitted, data links were installed and MER-200P bomb racks were provided. The F-15J is characterized by an indigenous data link, but they do not support Link 16 FDL mounted by USAF F-15Cs. It works as a basic bidirectional link with the Japanese ground-controlled intercept network, and it is limited because it is not a true network. These are the original F-15Js and the first version we will see in WT.

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Specs:

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General characteristics :

Crew: 1

Length: 63 ft 9 in (19.43 m)

Wingspan: 42 ft 10 in (13.05 m)

Height: 18 ft 4 in (5.6 m)

Empty weight: 28,601 lb (12,973 kg)

Max takeoff weight: 68,002 lb (30,845 kg)

Powerplant: 2 × Ishikawajima-Harima F100-IHI-100 afterburning turbofan, 14,370 lbf (63.9 kN) thrust dry, 23,450 lbf (104.3 kN) with afterburner each

Performance:

Maximum speed: 2,511 km/h (1,560 mph) at 13,716 m (45,000 ft)

Range: 2,800 km (1,740 mi)

Service ceiling: 17,944 m (58,870 ft)

Rate of climb: 341 m/s (67,050 ft/min)

Armament:

1x 20 mm JM61A1 with 940 rounds total

18x 500 lb Mk.82 bombs

9x 500 lb GCS-1 infrared guided bombs

12x 950 lb CBU-87/B cluster bombs

4x AIM-9L Sidewinder infrared air-to-air missiles

4x AAM-3 infrared air-to-air missiles

4x AIM-7F/M Sparrow semi-active radar missiles

Other:

AN/APG-63 Radar (160 km (99 mi) max scope range)

J/APR-4 Radar Warning Receiver

AN/ALE-45(J) chaff & flare dispenser

AN/ALQ-131 ECM pod

MSIP Version

Most likely Gaijin will just add one version of the F-15J that features all the upgrades and differences over the earlier versions. Upgraded F-15Js will have

New APG-63 (V)1

Link 16

AAM-4A/B capability

AAM-5A/B capability

Helmet mounted sight

new engines: 2 × Pratt & Whitney F100-220 after-burning turbofans

Specs:

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General characteristics :

Crew: 1

Length: 63 ft 9 in (19.43 m)

Wingspan: 42 ft 10 in (13.05 m)

Height: 18 ft 4 in (5.6 m)

Empty weight: 28,601 lb (12,973 kg)

Max takeoff weight: 68,002 lb (30,845 kg)

Powerplant: 2 × Ishikawajima-Harima F100-220 afterburning turbofan

Performance:

Maximum speed: 2,511 km/h (1,560 mph) at 13,716 m (45,000 ft)

Range: 2,800 km (1,740 mi)

Service ceiling: 17,944 m (58,870 ft)

Rate of climb: 341 m/s (67,050 ft/min)

Armament:

1x 20 mm JM61A1 with 940 rounds total

18x 500 lb Mk.82 bombs

9x 500 lb GCS-1 infrared guided bombs

12x 950 lb CBU-87/B cluster bombs

4x AIM-9L Sidewinder infrared air-to-air missiles

4x AAM-3 infrared air-to-air missiles

4x AIM-7F/M Sparrow semi-active radar missiles

4x AAM-5A/B infrared air-to-air missiles

4x AAM-4A/B Active radar homing

8x AIM-120 Active radar homing

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Now I will mention some F-15J variants including any proposals since we have things like the F-16AJ now.

Select few F-15Js received IRST on the nose of the aircraft

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F-15DJ 2 seat trainer

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F-15FX proposal to Japan by Boeing

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Upcoming F-15J Super Interceptor Upgrade changes include all glass cockpit, more pylons for more missiles, new AESA radar set etc…

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Suggestions:

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Mitsubishi F-15DJ The Eagle Trainer
Mitsubishi F-15J A New Beginning For The JASDF

Videos:

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https://youtu.be/v1ABflfTCIE

https://youtu.be/EIfEJwAUbak
https://youtu.be/4UJf6iktjuc

Some livery examples:

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I hope to see one of my all time favorite jets in WT soon! and new info or corrections and speculation please do not hesitate to comment.

[東北ずん子]

Wikipedia says the empty weight is 12,700 kg (27,999 lb), but I am not sure if this is correct.

[Fireraid233]

IRST can guide the AAM-4 should make for interesting gameplay.

[Fireraid233]

Late reply sorry yeah I got the empty weight from multiple other suggestions of the F-15Js but I also can’t confirm if thats true.

[Fireraid233]

IRST Pod

[warhead_beast]

I thought they would get integrated IRST

Mitsubishi F-15J – Japan

This is a good website showing all the different variants and differences between the modernization prototypes and the MJ program etc.

[Fireraid233]

I think the costs were too high perhaps but in the end only a few got them. Instead the IRST pod was made.

[WreckingAres283]

I hope Japan gets one of their IRST F-15Js, it would make it more unique.

[IssuesOfSkills]

Just want to see this after that small scene with the F-15J in the first Steel Rain movie. That damn Sakura emblem is more beautiful then anything in game

[oom1992]

@Fireraid233 You guess dev consider F-15J Pre-MSIP or F-15J basic limited SARH BVR in Q3 or Q4 this year ?

[Fireraid233]

Q3? Probably? If not maybe at the end of the year. A basic F-15J or F-15s in general would all be limited to just sparrows. Tho for Japan there is the option for AAM-3 instead of AIM-9L.

[AlvisWisla]

AAM-3 is Aim-9M equivalent, so sadly not.
Aim-9Ls until maybe late next year at the earliest.

[Fireraid233]

Yeah i know I was just saying they have that option compared to the U.S ones. But yeah don’t expect them soon.

[AlvisWisla]

I’m more interested in AAM-5, the R-73 equivalent.

[tanuki10]

I think AAM-5 is closer to AIM-9X, not R-73

[AlvisWisla]

Nope. Go look up what AAM-5 is.

[oom1992]

I guess AAM-5 maybe equivalent MICA IR, ASRAAM, Python 4, R-73M, A-Darter & PL-10

[AlvisWisla]

AAM-5B is equivalent to R-73M.
AAM-5 itself not sure if that’s R-73A equivalent or not.

[oom1992]

I don’t know AAM-5 better Python 4, MICA IR, A-Darter & PL-10 ?

[コタリ]

It’s hard to put a definitive answer on what missile the AAM-3 is equivalent to. Externally it’s very similar to the Python 3 in terms of dimensions, being much bigger than the AIM-9L.

However what really makes the AAM-3 special is it’s seeker being an electrical servo and bank-to-turn steering autopilot with a HOBS seeker head being able to look at much high angles than the AIM-9.

Here is also a video of the IRIS-T seekerhead which is also electric servo showing how fast these things move compared to an old gas servo.

Movement of the seeker head of the IRIS-T

Just for perspective, this doc states that the US had no SRAAM with BTT capabilities as of 1985 which means the Type 90 was likely the first in service SRAAM to use this technology with the block I AIM-9X being the one to follow.
https://arc.aiaa.org/doi/abs/10.2514/3.19970?journalCode=jgcd

The doc below talks more about BTT seekers and how they are an excellent design when used with a high lift missile body (hence the Type 90s large control surfaces) and a well performing IR sensor.

19800021773.pdf

This table gives an example of the AIM-7M, a skid to steer missile and what a missile with the same proportions as an AIM-7M with BTT seeker.

https://ftp.idu.ac.id/wp-content/uploads/ebook/tdg/MILITARY%20PLATFORM%20DESIGN/Missile%20Guidance%20And%20Control%20Systems.pdf
That isn’t to say the AAM-3 will be pulling 100g’s since it’s a much smaller than an AIM-7 with smaller control surfaces, but it’s performance should be very high. Currently the Python 3 is pulling 40g’s on an airframe very similar to the AAM-3, but using old STT autopilot. With BTT I would assume the AAM-3 would be pulling 50-55g’s or maybe more and something like a AIM-9X Block I pulling 60Gs.

I would say there are 2 things holding back the AAM-3 from performing much better is the lack of a TVC engine, and a lack of an HMD. The lack of a TVC engine is sort of negated by the whole BTT and large control surfaces, but it’s still the bottleneck for better performance. As for the HMD the AAM-3 seems to help with that somewhat.

The AAM-3 has self search which basically means that the seeker will look around for it’s own target rather than just pointing the seeker straight forward. Think similar to how a radar scans, but instead of a top to bottom left right scan, its an expanding circle. It’s still less effective than an HMD where you can direct the seeker to a target rather than waiting for it to find the target on it’s own and Gaijin would have to model a target reject system when your missile finds a target that you don’t want to shoot at.

Still too early to add to the game IMO, but could probably be added alongside the R-73. It has better flight performance, but the real thing that makes the R-73 so strong is the HMD so it balances out. Gaijin would have to probably nerf the IRCCM though.