The security alliance between Japan and the United States has been a cornerstone of peace and prosperity in the Asia-Pacific region for generations. Playing a part in that alliance and working in partnership with local businesses, Lockheed Martin delivers cutting-edge technologies and innovations to support the future prosperity of Japan and its communities.
Working with our Japanese partners, we are committed to partnering with industry to shape best-value solutions that deliver low-risk, proven capability with high levels of local content, technology transfer and workshare. Examples include:
- F-35: With the Final Assembly and Checkout Facility (FACO) in Nagoya now complete, Japan’s F-35 aircraft are being assembled and delivered in Japan.
- Helicopters: Commercial and military helicopters are provided by Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin company, and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (三菱重工) in partnership for the last 65 years. More than 550 military helicopters have been produced for the Japan Self-Defense Forces under manufacturing license agreements with Sikorsky.
- Combat Systems: The Aegis Combat System has provided advanced sea, air and undersea threat detection capabilities to Japan’s Kongo- and Atago-class ships for the last 25 years – with more opportunities to come in the future.
F-35
The F-35 Lightning II is designed and built to counter the most advanced threats – making it a perfect fit for the Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF).
Black Hawk
Today’s operational aircraft for Japan include the UH-60J and UH-60JA fleets, which are based on Sikorsky’s S-70 Black Hawk. The UH-60J is used primarily for search and rescue, while the UH-60JA variant is employed for utility missions.
Sea Hawk®
Japan also operates a variant of the Sea Hawk, the SH-60J/K helicopter. While it’s primarily used operated for anti-submarine patrol, the whole H-60 family in Japan is renowned for saving lives during natural disasters over the years. 三菱重工 manufactures and maintains H-60 helicopters under a comprehensive Licensing Agreement with Sikorsky. 三菱重工 configures and maintains each variant for the Self-Defense Forces.
Armed Black Hawk
The aircraft that’s made for any mission just got even more versatile. For security and battlefield support, the Black Hawk helicopter can now be outfitted with an advanced weapon system. In short, it simplifies the complex task of placing rounds onto a target by calculating the complex ballistics required for effective airborne gunnery. The installable armed kit is designed to boost any Black Hawk’s combat capabilities, at half the cost per flight hour compared to a dedicated heavy attack helicopter.
Aegis
Aegis provides four of Japan’s Kongo-class destroyers and two Atago-class destroyers with advanced sea, air and undersea threat detection capabilities.
Lockheed Martin’s STEM Education Program in Japan
Lockheed Martin sees education as a crucial investment for both business and society, and will continue working closely with our partners to enhance the collaboration between industry and educators to advance STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) education in Japan.
Lockheed Martin provides sponsorship to the biannual National Model Rocketry Competitions as well as the Rocket Koshien, which feeds into the International Rocketry Challenge. It also provides three educational awards for the best female team at each of these events.
The Girls’ Rocketry Challenge, which launched in October 2016, aims to encourage female students to explore their curiosity in the STEM field, utilising model rocketry for a hands-on approach to scientific experimentation and practical application of theoretical knowledge outside of the classroom. The Girls’ Rocketry Challenge has expanded its reach from the Kanto region of Japan in the first cycle, to now include schools nationwide.
The program is run in partnership with the Japan Association of Rocketry, a non-profit organization that sets the industry standard for model rocketry in Japan with the support of Leave a Nest, a science education company that also runs workshops on model rocketry. In 2018, the program also welcomed Chiba Institute of Technology as a supporter, enabling GRC participants to receive further guidance in their learning journey in rocket science.
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