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Photo Reconnaissance with the Eagle; Nyatubaru, November 7, 2019

Eagles for the Air Defense, part 5; Text and Photograph's by Alex van Noye

Photo reconnaissance is an important task which is currently at the Japan Air Self Defense Force being performed by the specialized RF-4E Kai. Meanwhile, it is known that these aircraft will be phased out in April 2020. Japan therefore needs successor for the Phantom to continue to perform photo reconnaissance tasks.

The photo reconnaissance systems with the RF-4 are based on a film camera. This concept has since become a remnant of the last century. After photographing an area or target, the film must be returned to the home base and the film must be developed. The reconnaissance system of the RF-4E was criticized more than 20 years ago after the large earthquake in Hanshin-Awaji in 1995. The system was unable to transmit real-time data to the development centers, which meant that the results of the film continued for a long time of waiting. Sixteen years later, the RF-4 was still unable to send information in real time and was criticized in a similar way after a major earthquake in eastern Japan. All this time it has not been possible to find a suitable solution for the phasing out of the Japanese RF-4E fleet. With the introduction of many new systems in the world, the RF-4E concept has now become a museum item that is strongly outdated. Even aircraft from small countries with a limited budget are nowadays equipped with photo reconnaissance pods that can send information to the home front in real time. Also in Japan there is a strong need for such a system to replace the outdated RF-4s. Japan has come a long way to make the F-15 Eagle suitable for photo reconnaissance. In 2006, Toshiba was contracted to develop a reconnaissance version by converting existing F-15Js into RF-15Js. This version of the Eagle should then ensure that the RF-4E can be phased out. The Japanese company Toshiba received a contract to develop a draft version of the RF-15J.

At the same time, they came up with the concept of equipping the Japanese F-15s with the Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) pods. Lockheed Martin announced in 2007 that it will upgrade radar capabilities for the reconnaissance version of the F-15J fleet of the Japan Air Self Defense Force. Lockheed Martin planned to equip a number of selected F-15J aircraft with advanced synthetic aperture radar pods. Lockheed Martin has been developing SAR technologies since the 1950s. Where Toshiba has the assignment to

renovate the nose section of the existing F-15J for photo reconnaissance, Lockheed Martin comes with a pod that can be hung under the fuselage of the Eagle. Once integrated with the aircraft, the SAR radar will receive, process and send critical targeting information in real time. The SAR system uses a solid-state digital system to record images, a data link in the air to transmit information electronically to ground stations, and the SAR to accurately target areas at any time of the day or night in any type of weather condition. The SAR system is an active system that detects with radio waves instead of light. Japan has never had such an advanced photo reconnaissance system so far. The SAR system could therefore be an ideal solution for the JASDF. With this solution, the RF-4E Phantoms could be phased out in JASDF.

The development of a special RF-15 variant for Japan by converting existing F-15J models was not a feasible card for the JASDF. In October 2010, the JASDF canceled the project that worked on the RF-15J reconnaissance variant. The aircraft would have built-in optical and infrared cameras and other reconnaissance equipment. Japan would continue to use its aging RF-4E reconnaissance aircraft for aerial photography at that time. Toshiba was required by contract to deliver this version of the Eagle between September and October 2010. These contracts were signed in fiscal years 2007 and 2008 for a total of 10 billion yen (about 100 million US dollars). In the event of a major lack of foreign components required, Toshiba had asked the Japanese government for permission to postpone delivery until the spring of 2012. The decision to cancel followed an announcement that Japan was considering buy unmanned Global Hawk aircraft. The specialized reconnaissance version of the F-15J would then no longer be necessary. A number of research reports have also reported that the newly developed reconnaissance drone of the type Global Hawk can easily be used for reconnaissance tasks. An F-15 reconnaissance type is therefore not necessary, but the Global Hawk, on the other hand, is a strategic reconnaissance aircraft. The RF-4 and a possible RF-15J, on the other hand, are tactical reconnaissance aircraft with completely different purposes and deployment options.

Why Japan has never opted for the SAR system is a mystery. The system was probably too expensive, but that has never been indicated by the Japanese government. The US government has further developed the SAR system for deployment under the F-15 after Japan discontinued the project. The American F-15E Strike Eagle fleet is nowadays able to fly with this system for reconnaissance purposes. In the years from 2006 to 2010, Japan put a lot of energy into preparing the F-15J for photo reconnaissance tasks. This has cost a large amount of money and in the end it has yielded nothing for the JASDF. Japan was therefore forced to continue flying with the RF-4E until the beginning of 2020. In order to be able to continue after the Phantom era, Japan ordered three Global Hawk drones from Northrop Grumman in America in 2018. These unmanned aircraft will be delivered in September 2022. In addition to the drones, the first F-35A Lightning II aircraft are now being used in Japan. It seems that this aircraft will take on the primary photo reconnaissance tasks. The F-35 has the most powerful and comprehensive integrated sensor package of any fighter aircraft in history and can perfectly perform all reconnaissance tasks. The information collected by F-35 sensors can easily be shared with commanders at sea, in the air or on the ground. It may therefore be clear that with the arrival of the F-35A and the Global Hawk in particular, the plans for a photo reconnaissance version of the F-15J are definitely gone. Japan can phase out the strongly outdated RF-4E Phantom with confidence, because the successor is ready in the form of the F-35.




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