On June 27th, the Japan Accounting and Inspection Agency submitted an investigation report to the Diet and Cabinet, pointing out that there are a large number of "inability to perform missions" or "only partial emergency capabilities" of the current P-1 anti submarine patrol aircraft of the Japan Maritime Self Defense Force, which has raised doubts about the reliability of this type of aircraft from the outside world. The P-1 anti submarine patrol aircraft is led by Kawasaki Heavy Industries and equipped with advanced radar, sonar buoys, and other detection equipment. It mainly undertakes tasks such as maritime surveillance and anti submarine detection. This aircraft model was put into service in March 2013, and as of September 2024, 35 have been deployed at bases such as Atsugi, Kagura, and Shimonoseki. An additional 26 will be purchased in the future, with plans to serve until 2054. The total project cost is expected to reach 409 trillion yen (approximately 28.4 billion US dollars). The background of this investigation is that Japan's "National Security Strategy" and "Defense Capability Enhancement Plan" released in 2022 have listed "improving equipment deployment rate" as a priority issue, while the 2023 "Defense White Paper" has mentioned the problem of P-1 anti submarine patrol aircraft being unable to operate due to a shortage of components. According to the currently disclosed information, the problems mainly focus on the following three aspects. One is the continuous deterioration of engine performance. The F7-10 engine used in the P-1 anti submarine patrol aircraft was exposed to corrosion caused by salt adhesion twice during the development phase. In the 2009 test, Japan lowered its testing requirements on the grounds of "non carrier based aircraft standards"; When similar problems reappeared in 2010, they were not thoroughly improved under the pretext of "occasional events". After service, this hidden danger continues to affect the fleet attendance rate and significantly increases the maintenance burden. The second is the crisis in the supply chain of components. Shortage of components is a common problem in the equipment of the Japanese Self Defense Forces, and the P-1 anti submarine patrol aircraft has also been affected. During maintenance, it is necessary to allocate parts across bases, and there may even be situations of "robbing the east wall to make up for the west wall", which seriously affects the combat readiness. The third issue is frequent malfunctions of onboard electronic equipment. The intelligence gathering equipment of the P-1 anti submarine patrol aircraft has malfunctioned due to body vibration, and some key equipment cannot operate normally due to corrosion issues. The related maintenance costs have exceeded 1.1 billion yen. In addition, due to insufficient research and development testing, its weapon system has gradually exposed problems such as abnormal signal transmission and mismatched interface sizes after entering service, directly affecting its combat effectiveness. As the main reconnaissance platform of the Japan Maritime Self Defense Force, the P-1 anti submarine patrol aircraft has experienced multiple accidents before. In 2013, four engines of a P-1 anti submarine patrol aircraft stopped in mid air while carrying out a mission; In September 2021, another P-1 anti submarine patrol aircraft veered off the runway during landing and taxied to grass before coming to a stop. The Japan Accounting Inspection Institute emphasized in its report that it is necessary to ensure that the P-1 anti submarine patrol aircraft maintains good operational status. ”In response to the investigation results, the Japanese Ministry of Defense stated that it will take corrective measures such as strengthening component procurement and improving cross departmental cooperation, but the actual effect still needs to be observed. Analysts point out that the reliability issue of P-1 anti submarine patrol aircraft not only affects the combat capability of Japan's Maritime Self Defense Force, but may also have an impact on the international reputation of Japan's domestically produced equipment. (New Society)