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Japan set to opt for US stealth jet
Source: Agencies |
December 14, 2011, Wednesday
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JAPAN'S government has selected the Lockheed Martin F-35 stealth fighter to bolster its aging air force and is likely to announce the multibillion-dollar deal by the end of the week, it was reported yesterday.
The announcement is expected after a committee meeting on Friday, according to Kyodo News agency and the Yomiuri newspaper. A spokesman for Lockheed Martin said it had not been informed of any decision and, pending the formal announcement, officials refused to comment on which plane was favored.
"We would like to announce our decision as soon as possible," Defense Minister Yasuo Ichikawa said in response to the reports. He said the government is in the "final stages" of reaching a conclusion.
Japan is expected to buy 40 to 50 jets for as much as US$8 billion, though the value of the deal depends on what package Japan chooses. The Yomiuri report said Japan will budget for the first four aircraft in 2012, with deliveries starting in 2016.
Dave Scott, director of Lockheed Martin's F-35 international business development, said Japan's decision will be "a very visible one around the globe."
Japan has wrangled for years over whether to buy the F-35, Boeing F-18 or the Eurofighter Typhoon, made by a European consortium. The US planes were seen as the favorites because of close US-Japan military ties.
The F-35, also called the Joint Strike Fighter, is the Pentagon's biggest weapons procurement program - costing US$238 billion - and has support from allies including Britain, Australia, Canada, Israel and several European nations. It is to be used by the US Air Force, Marines and Navy.
Though the program has been criticized for cost overruns and delays, Lockheed says that eventually several thousand could be produced.
Japan - with 362 fighter jets, mostly F-15s, F-4s and F-2s - is already one of the top air powers in the region. But planners have long been concerned at the increasing age and expense of maintaining the fleet.
To further sweeten the deal, Lockheed has promised Japan a share of the assembly and production of the aircraft, which is important to local producers. Once it gets involved in the program, Japan could also benefit as an exporter of F-35 components, although that would require the easing of its weapons trade restrictions.
Washington is Tokyo's main ally. Roughly 50,000 US troops are stationed in Japan under a security pact. Japan's air force must work closely with its American counterpart, and using the same or similar equipment makes that easier to achieve.
The announcement is expected after a committee meeting on Friday, according to Kyodo News agency and the Yomiuri newspaper. A spokesman for Lockheed Martin said it had not been informed of any decision and, pending the formal announcement, officials refused to comment on which plane was favored.
"We would like to announce our decision as soon as possible," Defense Minister Yasuo Ichikawa said in response to the reports. He said the government is in the "final stages" of reaching a conclusion.
Japan is expected to buy 40 to 50 jets for as much as US$8 billion, though the value of the deal depends on what package Japan chooses. The Yomiuri report said Japan will budget for the first four aircraft in 2012, with deliveries starting in 2016.
Dave Scott, director of Lockheed Martin's F-35 international business development, said Japan's decision will be "a very visible one around the globe."
Japan has wrangled for years over whether to buy the F-35, Boeing F-18 or the Eurofighter Typhoon, made by a European consortium. The US planes were seen as the favorites because of close US-Japan military ties.
The F-35, also called the Joint Strike Fighter, is the Pentagon's biggest weapons procurement program - costing US$238 billion - and has support from allies including Britain, Australia, Canada, Israel and several European nations. It is to be used by the US Air Force, Marines and Navy.
Though the program has been criticized for cost overruns and delays, Lockheed says that eventually several thousand could be produced.
Japan - with 362 fighter jets, mostly F-15s, F-4s and F-2s - is already one of the top air powers in the region. But planners have long been concerned at the increasing age and expense of maintaining the fleet.
To further sweeten the deal, Lockheed has promised Japan a share of the assembly and production of the aircraft, which is important to local producers. Once it gets involved in the program, Japan could also benefit as an exporter of F-35 components, although that would require the easing of its weapons trade restrictions.
Washington is Tokyo's main ally. Roughly 50,000 US troops are stationed in Japan under a security pact. Japan's air force must work closely with its American counterpart, and using the same or similar equipment makes that easier to achieve.
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