Supporting Japan’s defense programmes for 60 years

60 years in Japan

This year marks 60 exciting years since Rolls-Royce opened its first office in Japan. Since then, we’ve been building on our strong relationships with partners and customers alike to support the country’s ambitions to operate strong maritime, air transport, patrol and training programmes within its defense and combat capabilities.

To mark this momentous anniversary, we’ve looked back at some of the milestones achieved since then and the partners who’ve help to make them possible.

Technologies shaping Japan’s defense forces

Our relationship with the country goes back over 120 years to when the battleship Mikasa was supplied from the Vickers shipyard in the UK to the Imperial Japanese Navy.

Since then, we’ve continued to provide key technologies to the country’s defense programmes and become a market leader for aero transport in Japan, with our defense engines powering a number of indigenous aircraft as well as others made by foreign manufacturers.

T-1 powered by Orpheus

The first Japanese Rolls-Royce office opened in Tokyo as we began to supply Japan’s Defense Agency with our Orpheus gas turbines to power the T-1 trainer, the first jet aircraft developed in Japan (by Fuji Heavy Industries) since World War II.

A growing legacy

Today, our presence in Japan has grown to 13 different locations and is supported by 65 colleagues and thousands more working on Rolls-Royce programmes through our partner organisations.

We have around 700 aero engines installed across the Japanese government’s fleet, including the Japan Ministry of Defense and the Japan Coast Guard.

In the UK, Japan, and Italy’s joint next-generation fighter jet programme, Rolls-Royce is working with IHI to develop and deliver a future fighter engine.


Supporting Japan’s maritime defense

In marine defense, more than 100 of our gas turbine engines support the JMSDF, making them one of our largest operators in the world. Our MT30 gas turbine powers an expected fleet of 12 Mogami Class ships.

The engine will be packaged by our long-term partner Kawasaki Heavy Industries. Since we started powering JS Ishikari with the Olympus in the 1980s, KHI has worked with us to supply around 200 naval gas turbines to the JMSDF, as well as participating in almost all Trent engine programmes.

Hatsuyuki Class powered by Olympus and Tyne

Source: JMSDF website

Mogami Class powered by MT30

Source: JMSDF website