Kawasaki P-1

P-1
Kawasaki P-1
Role	Maritime patrol aircraft
National origin	Japan
Manufacturer	Kawasaki Aerospace Company
First flight	28 September 2007
Introduction	2013
Status	In service
Primary user	Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force
Produced	33
Unit cost	2015 MOD Budget: 20 units (¥350.4 billion) / US$140.8 million each 2014 MOD Budget: 3 units (¥ 59.4 billion) / US$167 million each
Variants	Kawasaki YPX

External video

Footage of the P-1's first flight in September 2007

Video of P-1 taxing, taking off, and landing

A P-1 performing an flight display at RIAT 2015

2015 MOD Budget: 20 units (¥350.4 billion) / US$140.8 million each

The Kawasaki P-1 (previously P-X, XP-1) is a Japanese maritime patrol aircraft developed and manufactured by Kawasaki Aerospace Company. Unlike many maritime patrol aircraft, which are typically conversions of civilian designs, the P-1 is a purpose-built maritime aircraft with no civil counterpart and was designed from the onset for the role. It has the distinction of being the first operational aircraft in the world to make use of a fly-by-light control system.

The P-1 has entered service with the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) as a replacement for the P-3C Orion. On 26 March 2013, the JMSDF took delivery of the first two operational P-1 aircraft. Export customers are also being sought for the type as part of a general loosening of Japanese military export restrictions.

Observing that its fleet of P-3C aircraft had been in service for some time, the JMSDF began searching for a replacement maritime patrol aircraft. Since other similar aircraft produced abroad did not meet the JMSDF's requirements, the development of a purpose-built indigenous aircraft became necessary. The Japanese Defense Agency (JDA) submitted the domestic development of a P-X maritime patrol aircraft as part of its April 2001–March 2006 Five-Year Defense Plan. In 2001, following its earlier proposal, the Kawasaki Aerospace Company received prime contractor status for the P-X program, as well as the adjacent C-X program for a next generation cargo aircraft; this selection process occurred almost 30 years since the previous large-scale domestic development of an aircraft in Japan.

The P-X shares some components with the C-X, later designated as the Kawasaki C-2, another indigenously-developed aircraft to replace the Kawasaki C-1 and C-130H Hercules cargo aircraft. The P-X and C-X designs were originally independent, it was decided that having common components to both designs would be useful. The JDA mandated that the two aircraft share identical body components; common components include the cockpit windows, outer wings, horizontal stabilizer, and other systems. Internal shared parts include the auxiliary power unit, cockpit panel, flight control system computer, anti-collision lights, and gear control unit. Due to the different roles of the two aircraft, they remain distinctly separate. The sharing of development resources had allowed for a large reduction in overall development costs which, when including the C-2, were reported as being 345 billion Yen ($3 billion) in 2007.