At least four Japanese companies are expected to put in bids by mid-June for a replacement of the Japan Air Self-Defence Force's (JASDF) Fuji T-3 primary trainers. The 50 T-3s in operation are to be phased out over five years, beginning in 2000.
Fuji Heavy Industries is proposing a turboprop modification of the piston-engined T-3, while Marubeni is expected to offer the Pilatus PC-7, Mitsubishi the Raytheon T-6 and Nozaki will offer the Embraer Tucano.
Although the JASDF will not say whether it expects the T-3's successor to be built under licence in Japan - stipulating only that companies proposing imported aircraft are required to make their proposals in conjunction with Japanese maintenance firms - a Japan Defence Agency source points out that the JASDF's policy has generally been to import a first batch of three or four aircraft, and then have the rest built in-country.
Source: Flight International
