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Aircraft and saltwater do not mix well, at least not from the aircraft’s point of view. And as a result of that unfortunate fact, the tsunami that devastated northeast Japan in March will lead to a flurry of orders for aircraft.
Japanese authorities have started to speak to aircraft manufacturers with a view to making purchases for replacement of some tsunami-damaged aircraft at Sendai Airport and the Matsushima Air Base, say industry executives.
The Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF), Japan Coast Guard (JCG), Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) and Civil Aviation College lost the most aircraft as a result of the disaster.
There were 18 JASDF Mitsubishi F-2B fighter trainers at Matsushima when the tsunami struck, and all were submerged. The defense ministry estimates that only 6-9 can be repaired. But some industry executives question whether any can be refurbished, considering the corrosion damage that saltwater causes on engines and electrical systems.
The ministry also needs government budget approval to repair the aircraft, which is a challenge, considering Japan’s tight fiscal situation and because the ministry is also seeking money for 42 FX fighters to replace the air force’s McDonnell Douglas F-4s.
The ministry has, however, gained supplementary budget approval to buy three air force helicopters, say industry executives, adding that these will be Mitsubishi/Sikorsky UH-60Js. This was included in one of two supplementary budgets that were passed for post-tsunami disaster relief. The government plans to approve additional funding.
Besides F-2s, other JASDF aircraft submerged at Matsushima were: five UH-60J helicopters, five Kawasaki T-4 jet trainers and two Hawker 800XPs, says aviation research company Ascend.
The Civil Aviation College, meanwhile, lost some Beechcraft King Air and Bonanza aircraft at Sendai Airport, one of only three bases it has in Japan.
The JCG lost some King Airs as well as helicopters, because it had these at Jamco, a Japanese maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) company at Sendai.
Jamco Executive Vice President Yoshihisa Suzuki says there were 12 aircraft at Jamco’s Sendai facility when the tsunami struck, and all were lost except for one coast guard Bombardier turboprop. Suzuki says the Sendai fire department, which has its air base nearby, also lost at least three helicopters and one fixed-wing aircraft. He says the fire department’s air base remains closed, so it temporarily relocated its air wing to Sendai Airport.
The JCG, meanwhile, has started to speak to aircraft makers, says an executive from one of the companies. Another executive says the coast guard is the “poor cousin” to the military, but it will get its aircraft because the government requires that it has a specific number for each region of Japan.
The JMSDF is hoping to receive approval to replace some of the King Airs it lost in the tsunami, says an industry executive. Another says the JMSDF has also started the procurement process for four larger military transport aircraft to replace some of its aging NAMC YS-11 turboprops. The JMSDF wants aircraft that can carry passengers and cargo, says the executive. Aircraft in the competition are likely to include the Airbus Military CN235, ATR 42/72 and Bombardier Q400.
The YS-11 is a 64-seat turboprop that was the first commercial aircraft Japan made following World War II. The JMSDF has 10; while the JASDF and JCG have seven and five, respectively, says Forecast International. The average age of the military’s YS-11s is 40 years.
The YS-11s have been kept airworthy thanks to scheduled heavy maintenance checks at Nippi, a Japanese MRO company. The YS-11 has two Rolls-Royce Dart turboprop engines, but some were converted to Allison T64s because the aircraft are considered to be underpowered. Some JMSDF YS-11s have a large cargo door so they can transport items such as spare engines for the service’s Kawasaki/Lockheed P-3Cs.
The air force, meanwhile, has no immediate plans to phase out its YS-11s, says Col. Shinichi Kaneko, head of the JASDF’s weapon systems program division. He spoke to Aviation Week on the sidelines of the Military Airlift Asia Pacific conference in Singapore last week. The JMSDF uses its YS-11s only for transportation, but some of the service’s YS-11s have an intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) role, so finding a replacement is harder, says Kaneko.
He also says the air force is waiting for delivery of Kawasaki C-2s before it starts to phase out the YS-11s. The C-2, a high-wing military transport powered by two GE CF6-80C2 engines, is primarily a replacement for the C-1s. But some C-2s will replace YS-11s, says Kaneko, adding that there is a plan to equip C-2s for ISR.
The air force has ordered 20 C-2s, he says, and first delivery will be in Japan’s 2014 fiscal year. Currently the aircraft is in its test program, and two are now flying, says Kaneko. Another two have been built for structural testing.
Kaneko also says the air force has no plans to leave Matsushima. The disaster in March proved how vulnerable the base is to tsunamis. He says his service is examining whether it can build hangars that can shut tightly enough to keep tsunami waters out.
And let's get one thing straight. There's a big difference between a pilot and an aviator. One is a technician; the other is an artist in love with flight. — E. B. Jeppesen
