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Japan picks F-35 as next-generation fighter jet

Xinhua, December 20, 2011

• The Japanese government made a formal decision on Tuesday to choose the F-35 stealth jet, which is being developed by the United States and eight other countries, as the country's next-generation fighter jets.

  F-35 stealth jet [File photo]

  The Security Council of Japan, presided over by Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda, made the final decision by taking into consideration the key factors including the aircraft's performance and cost, according to government officials.

  Japanese Defense Minister Yasuo Ichikawa said Japan adopted F- 35 mainly for its high performance and 42 F-35 fighters will be acquired.

  The government said Japanese companies would participate in building the new aircraft.

  Lockheed Martin's F-35 Lightning II stealth fighter, which had been reviewed along with Boeing's FA-18 Super Hornet and the Eurofighter Typhoon, will replace the country's 40-year-old fleet of F-4's.

  While the U.S. took its F-4's out of service in 1996 following a successful deployment during the Gulf War, Japan continued to use the 40-year-old jets for training and reconnaissance missions.

  Of the short-listed jets, all three offer superlative air-to- air and air-to-ground capabilities and can carry impressive payloads of ordnance. The F-35 has the added advantage of being able to greatly reduce its signature on radar due to its stealth- capable technologies.

  Critics in the country are concerned about the potential increase of costs as the jet, which is priced about 104 million U. S. dollars per plane, is still under development.

   

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