Rolls-Royce informs: “2024 marks 60 years since Rolls-Royce opened its first office in Japanconsolidating a long relationship of support for the country’s civil aerospace and defense capabilities.
In the decades since, our partnerships and customer base in the region have grown alongside the ambitions of Japan to operate robust maritime, airlift, patrol and training programmes, as well as efficient and reliable civil transport.
To mark this anniversary, we’ve looked back at some of the milestones achieved since then and the partners who helped make them possible.”
“Our relationship with the Japanese Defense Forces dates back over 120 years to the launch of the battleship Mikasa, supplied by Vickers shipyard in the UK to Imperial Japanese Navy.
Since then, we have continued to supply key technologies to the country’s defense programs and have become the market leader for aviation in Japanwith our defense engines equipping numerous types of domestic aircraft and others made by foreign manufacturers.
The first Japanese office of Rolls-Royce was opened to Tokyo when we started supplying Japan’s Defense Agency with our gas turbines Orpheus per il trainer T-1the first jet aircraft developed in Japan (and Fuji Heavy Industries) after World War II.
In the late 1960s, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries began to develop the T-2 supersonic trainer aircraft and, later, theF-1 single-seat strike aircraft. Both were equipped with engines Adour.
L’US-2 è uno short take-off and landing (TABLE) amphibious aircraft sviluppato da ShinMaywa Industries in the early 2000s and equipped withAE2100 turboprop engine. Today, theUS-2 is operated by Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF).
Over 100 of our gas turbine engines support the JMSDFmaking it one of our largest operators in the world. Our gas turbine MT30 was selected to equip 12 Mogami-class ships, the 12 new FFMs and the ASEV.
The engine package will be carried out by our long-standing partner Kawasaki Heavy Industries“, continues Rolls-Royce.
“After World War II, demand for a short- and middle-haul commercial airliner to transport Japanese passengers to the region increased. A consortium of Japanese companies including Mitsubishi Heavy Industries e Kawasaki Heavy Industries was formed in the late 1950s to begin work on the development of the aircraft.
In addition to the capacity for 60 passengers, the aircraft had to be able to take off and land on a 1,200 meter runway and have a flight range of 600 nautical miles (about 1,100 kilometres). To meet these challenging requirements, the Rolls-Royce Dart was chosen for the aircraft, due to the thrust and reliability to meet the needs of the Japan.
The plane that became known as YS-11 made its first flight in 1962. It went to support local airlines such as All Nippon Airways e Japan Domestic Airlines. L’YS-11 it has also been used by global commercial airlines in Asiain United Statesin Sud Americain Africa and beyond, as well as by military operations conducted by Japan Self-Defense Forces“, continues Rolls-Royce.
“Today, our presence in Japan has grown to 13 different locations and is supported by 60 colleagues and thousands of others working on the programs Rolls-Royce through our partner organizations.
Il Japan è un key Defence customer per Rolls-Royce and we currently supply and support engines to all three Self Defense Forces (Land, Sea and Air) plus the Coast Guard. We have approximately 700 aircraft engines installed in the Japanese government fleet.
Rolls-Royce equips the main fleets wide body for the 2 main ones Japanese airlines and engines have contributed significantly to airline operations with their high dispatch reliability, low fuel consumption and excellent environmental performance,” continues Rolls-Royce.
Rob Watson, President – Civil Aerospace, said: “Japan has been such an important partner for Rolls-Royce over the decades across all our businesses and the future looks very bright too. At Civil Aerospace we are very proud of our relationships with All Nippon Airways and Japan Airlines, we have important industrial relationships with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Kawasaki Heavy Industries and IHI and have always benefited from the deep technology and industrial depth that Japan has to offer. We look forward to another 60 years to come.”
Alex Zino, EVP Business Development & Future Programmes UK and International, Defence, said: “Heartiest congratulations to the Rolls-Royce Japan team on the 60th anniversary of operating in Japan. We are proud to be the number one provider of power and propulsion for Japan’s Ground, Maritime and Air Self-Defense Forces. With the Global Combat Air Program (GCAP) rapidly developing, the future continues to look very bright for Rolls-Royce in Japan and I am confident that there will be another 60-plus years of us continuing to grow and deepen our strategic partnerships.” .
Susumu Kaminaga, President of Rolls-Royce Japan, said: “This year marked the 60th anniversary of our presence in Japan and I am grateful to celebrate this important milestone with customers, partners and employees working in Japan and across the world. It has been 60 years since indigenous development increased after the Second World War. One of the first models developed was the YS-11 turboprop for civil markets and the T-1 jet trainer for defense markets, for which Rolls-Royce Dart and Orpheus engines were selected to equip these aircraft. Since then, the Japanese aviation and naval industries have trusted and selected our solutions for their key products to this day. We truly value these relationships and look forward to the next 60 years in Japan.”
(Rolls-Royce Press Office)
