THE JAPANESE Government has named the Gulfstream IV business jet, as the air force's future U-X multi-purpose support aircraft, during its review of the country's fiscal year 1995, defence budget.
The Japan Defence Agency (JDA) had originally selected the Gulfstream IV over the Dassault Falcon 900B and Canadair Challenger 601-3R in mid-1994.
The Government then subsequently stalled on making a final decision in the face of intense political pressure from France on behalf of the Dassault Falcon and Canada, in support of the Canadair Challenger (Flight International, 14-20 December, 1994).
Funding, however, for the first two U-X aircraft was included in the JDA's provisional '4.72 trillion ($47.13 billion) budget for fiscal year 1995. Without a final decision on the type of aircraft to be purchased, the U-X programme was in danger of being delayed a year.
The Japan Air Self-Defence Force (JASDF) hopes to purchase nine Gulfstream IV, or U-4s, with the first entering service in mid-1996. Planning calls for the funding a further three in fiscal year 1996, and the final four in 1997.
Overall spending, in the next budget, on new aircraft has been trimmed by '31.6 billion to '219 billion. The total number of aircraft sought, as a result, has been reduced from 74 to 68, (Flight International, 28 September - 4 October, 1994).
Source: Flight International