Japan Space-Time Strange Chronicles

Connections and South American Expansion, Government Struggles

Long time no see. A few days ago I was hit by a viral gastroenteritis and had to go to bed... It was quite painful because I hadn't had any illness that would put me to bed for more than a year.

- Kazuhiro Kasami

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February 18, 2020

Prime Minister's Office, Tokyo, Japan

On this day, about a year and a month after Japan's transference, the Prime Minister made a declaration.

"In a little more than a year, we have taken possession of the area of the old world's United States of America. We have built bases for the Self-Defense Forces, both Ground, Maritime, and Air, in various locations, and have been able to recruit many new personnel. In addition, as an immediate replacement for air power, the T-4 advanced trainer, which was used as a training plane in Japan, was converted to a single-seater with expanded electronics, the ability to use guided missiles with a small number of pylons, and the ability to carry a 12,7 mm heavy machine gun. In just over a year, more than 200 FT-4s have been deployed to protect the skies over Central America and the Americas."

At the same time as the Prime Minister was explaining, a projector behind him was showing flight images of the newest aircraft (although it was only a "bridge" until the next newest aircraft).

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Domestic Fighter Trainer Aircraft FT-4

Kawasaki Heavy Industries' jet aircraft T-4, which was developed as an intermediate trainer for the Air Self-Defense Force, has been used in the Blue Impulse and 212 planes have already been produced. The T-4 was modified from its existing configuration to include a 12,7 mm heavy machine gun as fixed equipment, pylons under the wings to mount two missiles on each wing. The aircraft was able to achieve a reasonable speed for a non-supersonic aircraft, and its mobility had been improved as a trainer, so it was able to meet the performance requirements for dogfighting. In addition, the cockpit environment was partially modified for use with missiles, and in the single-seat configuration, the number of avionics was increased to enable the operation of two types of missiles.

Specifications

Maximum speed : Mach 0,9 (approx. 1.000 km/h)

Maximum ceiling : 14.000 m

Maximum range : 1.300 km

Armament :

- 12,7 mm heavy machine gun (modified for aircraft), 500 rounds

- Short range air-to-air missile (AAM-5, AAM-3)

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Although its performance is far inferior to that of today's state-of-the-art fighter aircraft, it has more than enough performance to serve as a bridge until new fighter aircraft are developed and deployed over the next several years to defend the new continent. In addition, it is a purely domestic aircraft with a high production speed, and it is reasonably inexpensive compared to other fighter planes because it can be ordered in bulk. In addition, in order to operate this aircraft efficiently, a project to improve the JMSDF's P-1 patrol aircraft, which had only been planned, and to operate it as an early warning and control aircraft, was officially decided and started.

Originally, the P-1 was equipped with four active phased-array radars, so it was capable of a certain degree of air-to-air search. However, the plan was rekindled when it was requested that the radar, including the radar for early warning and control aircraft provided by the US, be produced domestically, and that the aircraft and some of its systems be adapted from existing aircraft in service.