A stealth fighter jet called the X-2, which has been in development in Japan since 2009, flew for the first time on Friday, CNN has reported. The jet, built by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, is not a production design or prototype, but a technology demonstrator, which is meant as a test bed for future designs. The Japanese will fly the jet for a couple of years before deciding if they want to continue into production, according to the Japan Times. They could produce a production version by the late 2020s. Japan already is buying copies of the F-35 stealth jet from the United States, which could be cheaper than developing their own.
This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://www.avweb.com/recent-updates/business-military/japan-test-flies-stealth-fighter