Japan Successfully Tests Fifth Generation Stealth Jet

Japan has successfully carried out the first test of its stealth jet.

The plane took off from Nagoya Airfield (Komaki Airport) in Aichi Prefecture at around 08:50 a.m. local time on Friday (23:50 GMT on Thursday) and landed safely at Gifu Air Field in Gifu Prefecture at 09:13 a.m. (00:13 GMT), Defense Ministry Program Manager Hirofumi Doi told Bloomberg by phone.

Japan is now the fourth nation, after the United States, Russia and China to test fly its own stealth jet.

The plane cost about $366 million to develop, according to Japan’s Defense Ministry. Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. led the developers' team.

According to Doi, the ministry will study data from the Friday test flight and decide on further developments of the fifth generation stealth fighter.