The Focke-Wulf Ta 152 is a German high-altitude fighter and interceptor aircraft designed by Kurt Tank and produced by Focke-Wulf. It entered production too late and in insufficient numbers to have a significant role in the Second World War.

The Ta 152 was developed from the Focke-Wulf Fw 190 fighter. It was intended to be produced in at least three versions—the Ta 152H Höhenjäger (high-altitude fighter); the Ta 152C designed for medium-altitude operations and ground-attack, using a Daimler-Benz DB 603 and with smaller wings and the Ta 152E fighter–reconnaissance aircraft with the engine of the H model and the wing of the C model. The first Ta 152H entered service with the Luftwaffe in January 1945; one month later production of the Ta 152 had ceased due to Germany's declining position in the conflict. Japan acquired material from Germany towards establishing domestic production of the Ta 152, but no aircraft are believed to have been completed.

The Fw 190's BMW 801 engine was originally designed for bomber and transport aircraft flying at medium altitudes in the 15,000–20,000 feet (4,600–6,100 m) range. In keeping with this role it used a relatively simple single-stage supercharger that lacked performance above 20,000 feet (6,100 m) altitude. This presented a problem for fighter use, where high-altitude performance was desirable. Through careful tuning, the Fw 190 instead emerged as a powerful medium altitude design. Several experimental models of the Fw 190 with different engines were tested with improved high altitude performance, but these were not high priority projects.

Allied heavy bombers and escort fighters began flying operations at higher altitudes, around 25,000 feet (7,600 m). At these altitudes, the Fw 190 found itself at a disadvantage, which became acute during early 1944 when the long range P-51 Mustang arrived in quantity. This led to the introduction of the Fw 190D-9, mounting the Junkers Jumo 213E engine. This engine had a two-stage supercharger and much better altitude performance. The rest of the aircraft's design, especially the relatively short wings, made it difficult to fly at high altitudes. While the D-9 upgrade was expedient, it was not ideal.

Rumours of the Boeing B-29 Superfortress, which would cruise at altitudes at which no German aircraft could comfortably operate, added impetus for a dedicated high-altitude design. The Reichsluftfahrtministerium (RLM, German Air Ministry) requested proposals from Focke-Wulf and Messerschmitt for a high-altitude interceptor. Messerschmitt responded with the Bf 109H while Focke-Wulf submitted a range of designs; the Fw 190 Raffat-1 (Ra-1) fighter would replace the existing Fw 190D series, the Ra-2 was a dedicated high altitude fighter, and the Ra-3 was a ground-attack aircraft.

These designs developed into the Fw 190 V20 (Ta 152A), V21 (Ta 152B) and V30 (Ta 152H) prototypes, all of which were based on the Fw 190D-9 but with varying degrees of improvement. The V20 used the same Jumo 213E engine as the Fw 190D-9, while the V21 used the DB 603E. Neither of these offered any significant improvement over the Fw 190D-9, and further development of the Ta 152A and B was cancelled. The V21 airframe was further modified as the V21/U1 and became the prototype for the Ta 152C.

In 1944, the RLM decided that new fighter aircraft titles must include the chief designer's name. The aircraft design was therefore given the prefix Ta.

During April 1945, the Imperial Japanese Army Air Service (IJAAS) acquired the licence, along with schemes and technical drawings, for manufacturing the Ta 152 in Japan. During the last stages of the conflict in Germany, with the plight of the Japanese armed forces growing ever bleaker, a large volume of the latest aviation technology Germany had to offer was given to or bought by the air wings of both the Imperial Japanese Army and Imperial Japanese Navy in the hopes that it would stem the tide of defeats and ever increasing pressure by the superior Allied air forces.