U.S. clears $23B F-35 sale to Japan
Japan also plans new stealth fighter development program

The U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) notified the Congress of State Department approval of a USD 23 billion sale of 105 Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter aircraft to Japan, last week.

Japan has asked for a mix of 63 F-35A Conventional Take­Off and Landing (CTOL) aircraft and 42 F-35B Short Take-Off and Vertical Landing (STOVL) aircraft and 110 Pratt and Whitney F135 engines.

This is Japan’s first order of the F-35B. Japan has earlier ordered 42 F-35A fighters of which 14 have been delivered. Japan is converting its Izumo-class helicopter destroyers, Izumo and Kaga to aircraft carriers capable of F-35B fighter operations. The Izumo class of helicopter destroyers had been designed from conception to cater for the possibility of fighter jet operations. But the Izumo’s dimensions are less than a third of the British Queen Elizabeth class of aircraft carriers and Japan does not have plans for fighter jet carrier air wings or squadrons, so far.

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Twelve U.S. Air Force F-16CM Fighting Falcons, twelve Koku-Jieitai F-35A Lightning II Joint Strike Fighters, two U.S. Navy EA-18G Growlers, a USN C-12 Huron, two USAF MC-130J Commando II aircraft, and a USN P-8 Poseidon participate in the first ever bilateral and joint “Elephant Walk” at Misawa Air Base on June 22, 2020 | Images: U.S. Air Force photos by Airman 1st Class China M. Shock and Branden Yamada

Only the U.S. Marine Corps, the British Royal Air Force and the Italian Navy operate the STOVL F-35B model, so far. As things stand, Japan’s planned fleet of 147 F-35 aircraft will be second only to that of the United States.

According to the DSCA notification issued on Thursday, the Japanese request also includes ‘Electronic Warfare Systems; Command, Control, Communications, Computers and Intelligence/Communications, Navigation and Identification; Autonomic Logistics Global Support System, Autonomic Logistics Information System; Flight Mission Trainer; Weapons Employment Capability, and other Subsystems, Features, and Capabilities; F-35 unique infrared flares; reprogramming center access and F-35 Performance Based Logistics; software development/integration; flight test instrumentation; aircraft ferry and tanker support; spare and repair parts; support equipment, tools and test equipment; technical data and publications; personnel training and training equipment; U.S. Government and contractor engineering, technical, and logistics support services; and other related elements of logistics support’.

The Japanese Air Self-Defense Force maintainers pose for a photo on November 28, 2016 during the arrival of the first Japanese F-35A at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona | U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Louis Vega Jr.

The notification also said, ‘The Japan Air Self-Defense Force’s F-4 aircraft are being decommissioned as F-35s are added to the inventory’. Japan had first selected the F-35A to replace their existing F-4 aircraft in December 2011.

Finally, “There are no known offset agreements proposed in connection with this potential sale,” said the notification.

Japan has also announced plans to build its own stealth fighter by the year 2031, to replace it’s F-2 fighter, which is modelled on the U.S. F-16. The Japanese government has budgeted 260 million dollars for this F-X program for the year 2020, alone. This program is separate from the earlier X-2 stealth fighter technology demonstrator program.

Earlier reports have speculated about the possibility of a Japanese partnership with the United Kingdom on the British Tempest next generation fighter aircraft development program.