The Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) has awarded Subaru Corporation a 7.6-billion-yen ($53 million) contract to produce 30 new Fuji T-5 training aircraft, Janes reported.
Japan’s defense ministry stated that the turboprop primary military training aircraft will be used to “maintain the necessary training capacity” of the JMSDF.
Further, the country’s government will supply the engines and other key components to reduce acquisition costs.
The procurement will run from 2024 to 2034.
T-5 Trainers
The T-5, also known as the KM-2Kai, has been in the JMSDF since the late 1980s.
Developed from the Fuji KM-2 aircraft, the T-5 serves as the service’s primary trainer aircraft used for training new pilots and tactical skill enhancement of active forces with its dual controls and two side-by-side seats.
Each trainer is powered by a 350 shaft horsepower Rolls-Royce M250-B17D turboprop engine with a Hartzell three-blade propeller. It features an all-metal low-wing design, retractable landing gear, and aerobatic capabilities.
At an altitude of 2,438 meters (8,000 feet), it can achieve a maximum speed of 193 knots (357 kilometers/223 miles per hour).
Additionally, the T-5 has a takeoff distance of 430 meters (1,410 feet) and a landing distance of 515 meters (1,690 feet).