JAPAN

F-35 now favoured for FX requirement

Following the announcement on April 6 by US Defence Secretary Bob Gates that production of the Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor would be ended, the favourite to meet the Japan Air Self Defence Force (JASDF) FX future fighter requirement is now the same company’s F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter (JSF).

       The FX is required to replace about 90 F-4EJ fighters and the Japanese Ministry of Defence is also evaluating the Boeing F-15FX Eagle, the Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, the Eurofighter Typhoon and the Dassault Aviation Rafale.

      The reasons for the F-35 being favoured are its degree of stealth, the fact that it will be in wide service with the US Air Force, US Navy and US Marine Corps, and Washington’s flexible attitude to its licensed production.

      The potential disadvantage is that the JASDF may have to wait until first F-35 deliveries have been made to the USA’s eight existing JSF partners (the UK, Italy, the Netherlands, Turkey, Canada, Australia, Denmark and Norway), plus the two existing Security Cooperation Partners, or SCPs (Israel and Singapore), before deliveries can be made to Japan.