JASDF F-35A 69-8701 taking off from
Lockheed's facility in Fort Worth on 24.08.16 (Japan Air Self Defense Force)
Defense Ministry considers procuring dozens
more F-35 fighters
December 31, 2017 (Mainichi Japan)
The Defense Ministry is considering buying dozens of
additional F-35 stealth fighter jets to replace Air Self-Defense Force (ASDF)
F-15s, government sources said.
The ministry is already moving forward with the
introduction of 42 F-35s to replace the ASDF's aging F-4 fighters.
U.S. President Donald Trump urged Japan to buy F-35s when
he visited Japan in November. Tokyo's plan to buy more of the jets is partly
aimed at fending off pressure from Washington to reduce the U.S. trade deficit
with Japan.
The F-15 Eagle is a fourth-generation air superiority
fighter. Japan began introducing the planes in fiscal 1980, and about 200 F-15s
have been deployed. Around half of them are being upgraded to extend their
service life, though the modernization program reportedly costs billions of yen
per aircraft. The older planes in the F-15 fleet are set to be retired in the
late 2020s, and the ministry has been considering new aircraft to replace them.
The F-35 Lightning II is a fifth-generation jet fighter
with stealthy qualities, and is designed for both air combat and strikes on
surface targets such as ships or enemy ground troops.
When President Trump visited Japan, he told a news
conference that the F-35 is the world's best fighter plane and urged Tokyo to
buy them, saying that a Japanese purchase would create many jobs in the U.S.
and make Japan safer.
The Defense Ministry began to earmark funds in fiscal
2012 to purchase the first 42 F-35s, and will start deploying the new jet this
fiscal year. Some 13 billion yen has been allocated for each aircraft in the
fiscal 2018 budget, with budget appropriations to acquire the 42 fighters
expected to wind down in fiscal 2020. The ministry is considering procuring
additional F-35s to replace aging F-15s beginning in fiscal 2021. Introducing
more of the same aircraft is expected to increase maintenance and pilot
training efficiency.
The ASDF plans to introduce F-35As, a standard takeoff
and landing model designed for air forces. However, a plan has emerged to buy
some F-35Bs, a short takeoff and vertical landing variant in service with the
U.S. Marine Corps. Under the plan, F-35Bs would be loaded on amphibious assault
ships, which the Maritime Self-Defense Force plans to introduce to transport
supplies and troops for the defense of Japan's far-flung island territories.
Original post: mainichi.jp
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