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Straits Times
30-06-2025
- Business
- Straits Times
‘Engine corrosion' grounds large numbers of Japan's home-grown P-1 patrol aircraft
Japan's P-1 patrol aircraft has encountered issues such as engine corrosion and intelligence-gathering equipment failures, the Board of Audit has found. PHOTO: JAPAN MARITIME SELF-DEFENCE FORCE – Japan's P-1 patrol aircraft, a proud symbol of domestic innovation as its first home-grown maritime reconnaissance plane, is 'woefully underused' due to engine corrosion and intelligence-gathering equipment failures, the country's Board of Audit has found. In a searing 38-page report on June 27, auditors highlighted a litany of defects that could have been prevented during the aircraft's development. It also blamed delays in securing replacement parts on a lack of proper judgment. The Defence Ministry said it took the findings seriously. 'Many P-1 aircraft were not in a state where all equipment were functioning properly and could be used for missions without restrictions,' the report said. 'Yet, the P-1 plays an important role in securing Japan's national interests, with flight patrols over territorial waters, and smooth passage of vessels through its sea lanes.' The revelation exposes a potential chink in Japan's maritime surveillance armour as China escalates its activities in the high seas sometimes close to Japan's outlying islands. It also underscores the challenges that Japan faces in its efforts to fire up its national defence industry, which has atrophied due to low profitability during a half-century of weapons export ban that has gradually been eased since 2014. The auditors launched an ad hoc probe into the P-1 since a 'large amount of national funds has been invested in its development'. The audit also came after the 2023 Defence White Paper cited the P-1 as an example of a military unit that has been crippled by a lack of parts. Japan spent 1.78 trillion yen (S$15.7 billion) on the research, development, procurement, maintenance and repair of the P-1 from 1991 to 2023, the audit board said. The P-1 has been globally recognised for its submarine detection prowess, and holds the distinction as the world's first aircraft with a fly-by-optics system. This transmits control signals from the cockpit via optical fibres instead of electrical wiring, making planes lighter. Japan decided to make its own patrol aircraft as a successor to its P-3C Orion aircraft made by America's Lockheed Martin. Kawasaki Heavy Industries is manufacturing the P-1, using F7-10 turbofan engines from IHI Corporation. The P-1 was first deployed in 2013, and the Maritime Self-Defence Force (MSDF) now commands a fleet of 35 P-1 aircraft, and plans to add another 26 aircraft by 2054, for a total cost of 4.09 trillion yen. The P-3C, in use since 1983, is gradually being phased out. The MSDF had 32 P-3C aircraft in operation as at March 2024, down from a peak of 98. The fleet of 35 P-1 aircraft, whose maximum speed of 830kmh makes the aircraft 1.3 times faster than the P-3C, is strategically stationed at three MSDF bases: Kanoya in Kagoshima in south-western Japan, as well as at Atsugi and Shimosa to the south and east of Tokyo respectively. The P-1 is equipped with, among other things, sonar and electromagnetic radars to detect submarines. The audit report described the operational status of the P-1 from 2019 to 2023 as 'subdued', without specifying the number of aircraft that were being grounded and the types of intelligence equipment that glitched, given that this could 'jeopardise national security'. Professor Heng Yee Kuang of The University of Tokyo's Graduate School of Public Policy told The Straits Times: 'The Kawasaki P-1 is one of the 'crown jewels' of Japan's kokusanka policy to build self-reliance in its domestic defence industry by utilising path-breaking technologies.' He added that the report spotlights the dilemma facing Japan's defence planners: how to balance wear and tear on its limited assets and manpower against the need to maintain persistent and continuous surveillance of Chinese and Russian maritime activities. 'This is a reminder that military operations remain critically dependent on logistical nuts-and-bolts issues, which are often unglamorous,' he said. Maritime patrol planes fly for prolonged periods at low altitudes over the high seas to monitor foreign submarines and suspicious ships. But the P-1 was vulnerable to salt content in the air that led to engine corrosion, thus 'rendering a certain percentage of engines permanently unusable', the report found. While the problem was discovered during the development phase, based on test standards used by the US military, these test conditions were changed under the pretext that the 'expected operations are different'. When the same problem was found during operations, IHI brushed it away as an 'accidental occurrence' – an explanation that the ministry accepted. A proposed fix for the engines to be thoroughly scrubbed down with pure water after each flight was not carried out as it was 'too onerous' on servicemen. As for malfunctions of electronic equipment, this could have been prevented with more rigorous stress-testing during development, the report said. The MSDF Air Supply Depot was also too overoptimistic over the procurement of replacement parts, the report added, noting that only 30 per cent of spare parts could be delivered within a year of a request being made. The chronic shortage, blamed on a global semiconductor shortage and supply chain issues, has meant that 'cannibalistic maintenance' was necessary by replacing parts of one P-1 unit with those from other P-1 aircraft . Still, experts noted that many modern military aircraft such as the F-35 stealth fighter jets have been plagued with teething problems, which makes the P-1's woes not extraordinary in the broader context. 'It is important that Japan grows its military self-reliance especially to prepare for a crisis – until now, there has been no motivation to grow its defence production lines because Japan's Self-Defence Forces were the only customer,' said non-resident fellow Satoru Nagao of the Hudson Institute, a US think-tank. 'But given Japan's lack of field experience after World War II, it suffers from many blind spots,' he added. Yet, to make the industry viable through export, it will be important for Japan to win customers among like-minded militaries abroad. Prof Heng said given that Japan has been trying to sell the P-1 to the Italian Navy, the bad press came at an inopportune moment. 'The Defence Ministry will have to demonstrate its ability to iron out these maintenance problems to convince would-be buyers,' he said. Walter Sim is Japan correspondent at The Straits Times. Based in Tokyo, he writes about political, economic and socio-cultural issues. Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Asahi Shimbun
28-06-2025
- Business
- Asahi Shimbun
Key MSDF patrol aircraft not up to task as corrosion ‘eating' engines
Engine malfunctions are plaguing the fleet of patrol aircraft essential to Maritime Self-Defense Force tracking of Chinese submarines and suspect ships in Japanese waters, according to the Board of Audit. The aircraft fly over the ocean at low altitudes for hours on end, making them prone to engine corrosion. The aircraft are a mainstay in Japanese efforts to monitor China's growing maritime assertiveness. The board did not divulge how many aircraft were affected in keeping with Defense Ministry protocols on security issues. The P1, the nation's first domestically made aircraft, was initially viewed as holding huge potential. It was considered to have no peer in submarine detection and tracking technology and there was talk of exporting the aircraft. But that never got off the ground. The Board of Audit study covered the 35 P1 aircraft deployed at MSDF bases across Japan as of September 2024. Primarily manufactured by Kawasaki Heavy Industries Ltd., the first P1 was deployed in 2013. It was the successor aircraft to the P3C, made by U.S. manufacturer Lockheed Martin Corp. The Board of Audit study said development, purchase and repair costs for the P1 through fiscal 2023 came to 1.776 trillion yen ($12.3 billion). The Defense Ministry's Acquisition, Technology and Logistics Agency plans to eventually deploy a total of 61 P1 aircraft at a cost of 4.090 trillion yen. The agency knew early on about the engine corrosion issue, but IHI Corp., which oversaw development, said the malfunctions were coincidental. So, nothing was done to rectify the problem. Within the MSDF, flying the P1 is considered the 'mission of missions' in that it comes with a huge array of detection equipment, making the plane a joy to operate. Increased sightings of Chinese submarines and other vessels in waters around Japan resulted in many more P1 missions. The burden of operating the aircraft around the clock on a rotational basis was never envisaged in the development stage, according to a highly placed MSDF officer. All sorts of issues emerged early on. The technology used in the U.S.-made P3C was off-limits, so Japanese engineers had to basically develop the aircraft technology from scratch. And this was at a time when the defense budget was not nearly as massive as it is today, meaning not all aspects of development could be adequately dealt with. The 'stovepipe' structure that separated ministry bureaucrats from SDF uniformed officers led to a failure in sharing information during the development stage, according to a high-ranking Defense Ministry official. The Board of Audit also pointed out that issues with the onboard electronic equipment and weapons were another reason some of the aircraft were grounded. Hopes of exporting the P1 aircraft were dashed after one of a pair dispatched to the Paris Air Show in 2017 developed problems and could not take part. (This article was written by Wataru Netsu and Daisuke Yajima.)
Yomiuri Shimbun
28-06-2025
- Business
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Board of Audit of Japan Warns Many MSDF P-1 Patrol Planes Inoperable; Parts Shortages, Device Defects Among Causes
Some Maritime Self-Defense Force P-1 patrol planes are not operational, according to a Board of Audit of Japan report released Friday. P-1 patrol planes are for detecting submarines and surveilling suspicious ships in the seas around Japan. The Board of Audit said that frequent engine trouble and shortages of parts for repairs are among the causes of the planes' underutilization. The report stated that 'a limited number of planes are mission ready' and demanded the Defense Ministry improve the situation. Thirty-five P-1 planes had been procured as of fiscal 2023 at a total cost of about ¥1.78 trillion. The government plans to procure another 26 units before fiscal 2054, when P-1 planes are set to cease operations. In compiling the report, the Board of Audit checked the operational conditions of P-1 planes between fiscal 2019 and 2023 and concluded that they had been underutilized because of three factors: deterioration of engine performance; defects in electronic information-gathering devices; and a chronic shortage of replacement parts. The report stated that, in many cases, the engine deterioration and electronic device defects were caused by material erosion due to long flights over the sea. There were many cases in which such planes became unusable. Additionally, the low utilization rate was found to be caused by delays in procuring parts due to rapid changes in the global landscape and a worldwide semiconductor shortage. As a result, some P-1 planes have had to undergo 'cannibalistic maintenance' — in which parts of one P-1 plane are replaced with parts from others. Such units are utilized only in stopgap operations. The Board of Audit did not disclose numerical data of the operations, names of defective devices and other details, as disclosing them could reveal the MSDF's capability to deal with contingencies. Speaking to reporters, a Defense Ministry official said, 'We are taking the pointed-out facts seriously and will continue making efforts to maximize the operational levels [of P-1 patrol planes].'
Korea Herald
04-06-2025
- Business
- Korea Herald
What Lee pledged to do as president
Global economic power Lee Jae-myung, who claimed victory with the highest number of votes in South Korea's history, pledged to transform the country into a top-tier economic powerhouse by heavily investing in future industries, particularly artificial intelligence and cultural exports. He plans to boost national AI competitiveness by providing infrastructure such as data centers, increased public-private funding and regulatory reforms. He said he would work to support Korea's content industries and those related to arts and culture, which he said could generate a total of 300 trillion won ($218 billion) in sales annually and 50 trillion won in exports by 2030. Key industries, including defense and strategic technology, will see tax incentives and targeted research and development, while food tech and green bio innovations will reshape agriculture into a smart and sustainable sector. Strengthening democracy Lee promised robust reforms to restore democratic order after the December 2024 martial law crisis. These include reinforcing civilian control over military powers, reducing the president's martial law authority and ending political retaliation practices. He aims to improve transparency in institutions such as the National Human Rights Commission and the Board of Audit. Judiciary and prosecution reforms include separating investigative and prosecutorial powers, expanding public legal access and introducing faster, more open trials. A key goal is to build an accountable, rights-respecting democracy anchored in public trust, he said. Revitalizing households Lee's third pledge focuses on easing household debt, supporting small business recovery and building a fair economic system. He proposed comprehensive debt restructuring for those affected by COVID-19 and martial law, as well as expanded financial support for small merchants. Measures include rent transparency, fee reductions, and local economic revitalization through digital and regional support. Lee also aims to curb predatory lending, reform housing policies to reduce rental fraud and burdens, regulate platform economy commissions and improve financial consumer protection. Corporate reform will target unfair practices, market manipulation and ensure shareholder rights. Practical foreign, security policy Lee vowed to pursue pragmatic diplomacy tailored to changing global dynamics. His administration will strengthen economic security, diversify trade and diplomatic ties —especially with the G20 and EU — and reform export strategies. Inter-Korean peace efforts will resume, with an emphasis on denuclearization and military tension reduction. Lee supports maintaining a strong US alliance while advocating for wartime operational control return. Additional policies include climate diplomacy, diaspora protection and supply chain safeguards. A broader diplomatic footprint will be realized through the upcoming APEC event in Gyeongju, strengthening ties with major countries in economic security. National safety and public health To ensure public safety, Lee proposed strengthening crime prevention, disaster response and medical access. Measures include cracking down on violent crime, expanding victim protection, and improving traffic, construction and aviation safety. On health care, Lee aims to resolve medical service gaps through better compensation, workforce expansion and a nationalized emergency response system. He supports telemedicine and improved care access for older adults and vulnerable individuals. A public dialogue-based health reform committee is suggested to address system sustainability and reduce insurance burdens, while reinforcing public trust in medical institutions. Sejong, regional empowerment Lee pledges to complete Sejong's status as the administrative capital by building a National Assembly annex and presidential office in the city, which is about 110 kilometers south of Seoul. Lee said he would push for the complete relocation of these institutions in the long term and make Sejong the nation's official capital. He will decentralize national growth through the '5 Megaregions and 3 Special Autonomous Provinces' strategy, boosting infrastructure and local autonomy. The plan includes expanding regional rail networks, encouraging strategic industries in each region and easing dominance focused on capital-region universities. A labor-respecting society Lee commits to building a society where all workers' rights are protected, whether regular employees, freelancers or platform laborers. Legislative changes will guarantee union rights for subcontractors and improve wage fairness via an earnings distribution system. Occupational safety, particularly for high-risk jobs, will be a priority, along with broader workers' compensation coverage. Gender equality in public institutions and reduced working hours to 4.5 working days a week are also on the agenda. Rights of workers in cultural sectors and disability access laws will be reinforced to foster an inclusive, fair labor environment that values human dignity. A country where all generations thrive To ensure a dignified life across all generations, Lee pledged to expand income support systems, ease living costs and strengthen welfare. He said he will raise the child funding age to 18, expand housing and tax benefits, and increase access to caregiving services, especially for the elderly and people with disabilities. Educational equity will be pursued through stronger public schooling and reduced private tutoring reliance. For youth, housing aid, job training and savings programs will be expanded. Measures for rural, single-person and single-parent households also aim to create a more equitable and secure society. Overcoming low birthrate, aging To tackle Korea's demographic crisis, Lee proposed boosting birth rates and care for older adults through targeted welfare. Policies include increased child care tax credits, subsidies for extracurricular activities and special housing for newlyweds. He promised that public day care and after-school programs will be expanded, and disability-inclusive care systems will be established. For aging populations, the government will support senior-friendly housing, improve dementia care and expand community-based medical services He also proposed aligning retirement and pension eligibility through expanding retirement age and reforming the housing and pension system to guarantee income security in the later phase of life. Active climate response Lee pledged aggressive action on climate change through carbon reduction and green energy expansion. South Korea will set ambitious emission targets and revise its Carbon Neutrality Framework Act. He aims to shut down coal plants by 2040, expand solar and wind power, and invest in smart grids and energy highways. Industries will receive support to transition to low-carbon practices, with incentives for clean tech innovation. Other initiatives include green remodeling, EV adoption and eco-friendly agriculture. Biodiversity restoration and plastic reduction will also be prioritized, alongside plans for a 'just transition' in vulnerable communities.
