TOKYO — The Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF) and the Ministry of Defense have adjusted the delivery schedule for the F-15 Japan Super Interceptor (JSI) modernization program, with the first 20 heavily upgraded F-15J aircraft now set to complete deployment by the end of Fiscal Year 2029. Executed primarily by prime contractor Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) in coordination with Boeing, the JSI overhaul aims to address technological obsolescence across Japan’s legacy F-15J/DJ fleet—originally procured in the early 1980s—and extend platform combat relevance through the 2030s alongside stealth assets such as the F-35A/B and the upcoming Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP) sixth-generation fighter.
The JSI modernization suite fundamentally converts legacy mechanical radar platforms into deep-strike, network-centric air superiority combatants. Key technological upgrades center on replacing the legacy mechanically scanned AN/APG-63 radar with the Raytheon AN/APG-82(V)1 Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar, integrating BAE Systems’ AN/ALQ-239 Digital Electronic Warfare System (DEWS), and fielding advanced Honeywell Advanced Display Core Processor II (ADCP II) mission computers. Furthermore, structural and software modifications enable the carriage of standoff precision-guided land-attack weapons—specifically the Lockheed Martin AGM-158B Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile Extended Range (JASSM-ER)—giving the JASDF a long-range counter-strike capability to hold standoff air defense and naval targets at risk from ranges exceeding 900 kilometers.
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS: MITSUBISHI / BOEING F-15 JAPAN SUPER INTERCEPTOR (JSI)
* System Classification: 4.5-Generation Heavy Air Superiority & Standoff Strike Interceptor
* Industrial Partners: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI, Lead Integrator) & Boeing Defense, Space & Security
* Operational User: Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF / Kōkū Jieitai)
* Fleet Modernization Target: 68 to 98 selected F-15J airframes (First 20 units scheduled for FY2029 completion)
* Platform Dimensions & Weight Parameters:
* Overall Length: 19.43 meters (63 ft 9 in)
* Wingspan: 13.05 meters (42 ft 10 in)
* Height: 5.63 meters (18 ft 6 in)
* Empty Mass: ~12,700 kg (~28,000 lbs) | Maximum Take-Off Weight (MTOW): 30,845 kg (68,000 lbs)
* Powerplant & Flight Performance Envelope:
* Engines: 2x IHI-licensed Pratt & Whitney F100-IHI-220 (or -220E) turbofans
* Thrust Output: 77.6 kN dry / 111.2 kN with afterburner per engine (~50,000 lbf total)
* Maximum Speed: Mach 2.5+ at high altitude (2,650 km/h)
* Combat Radius / Ferry Range: ~1,200 km (combat radius) | 4,600+ km with 3x external drop tanks
* Service Ceiling: 20,000 meters (66,000 feet)
* Avionics, Sensor Suite & EW Backbone:
* Primary Fire Control Radar: Raytheon AN/APG-82(V)1 AESA radar (multi-target tracking, SAR imaging, concurrent air-to-air & air-to-surface modes)
* Mission Processing: Honeywell ADCP II (Advanced Display Core Processor II) high-speed mission computer
* Electronic Warfare & Self-Protection: BAE Systems AN/ALQ-239 Digital Electronic Warfare System (DEWS) / Integrated EW suite
* Tactical Data Links: Joint Tactical Information Distribution System (JTIDS) / Link 16 architecture
* Ordnance & Payload Capabilities (10 Hardpoints; Up to 10,700 kg Payload):
* Air-to-Air Missiles (BVR/WVR): AIM-120C-7/D AMRAAM, Mitsubishi AAM-4B (active radar guided w/ AESA seeker), and AAM-5B (high-off-boresight IR guided)
* Standoff Strike Ordnance: Lockheed Martin AGM-158B JASSM-ER (900+ km range, low-observable airframe w/ IIR seeker)
* Internal Gun Armament: 1x 20 mm M61A1 Vulcan 6-barrel rotary cannon (940 rounds)
