Japan likely to drop plan to buy F-22 fighters

Monday 29th December, 04:35 AM JST

TOKYO —

Japan is likely to drop its attempts to buy state-of-the-art U.S. F-22 Raptor stealth fighter planes since it expects the United States to stop producing them, a newspaper reported on Sunday.

The Japanese government had been trying to persuade the United States to sell it F-22 Raptors to replace its own aging F-15 fleet, despite Washington’s reluctance.

Tokyo, however, is now abandoning the plan amid signs that President-elect Barack Obama’s new administration may halt production of the aircraft, the Daily Yomiuri said, quoting government sources.

“We have a firm impression that its production likely would be halted,” a high-ranking official at the defense ministry was quoted by the daily as saying.

U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates, reappointed to stay in the post under Obama, has said publicly that he favors halting production of the F-22.

Washington is also said to be skeptical about continuing production of the expensive planes due to the financial crisis and declining tax revenues.

U.S. law prohibits export of Raptors as Congress remains anxious over the possible leaking of details of the Raptor’s state-of-the-art technology. They are built to evade radar detection at supersonic speeds.

Japan’s possible alternatives are the Eurofighter Typhoon, jointly developed by NATO members Britain, Italy, Spain and Germany, said the English version of the Yomiuri Shimbun.

Among other candidates are the U.S. fighter F-15FX and the F-35 Lightning II, produced by the United States, Britain and other countries, it reported.

Some ministry officials favor the F-35, a high-performance fighter with sophisticated bombing capabilities, but this plane has not even been deployed so far by U.S. forces, the daily said.

Japan has been officially pacifist since its defeat in World War II but has one of the world’s largest defense budgets and is gradually expanding its military role.

Wire reports

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Latest 15 of 42 Total Comments Show All

mareo2 at 01:18 PM JST - 29th December

I rather want to see the LDP expend trillions of yens in a J fighter that can provide a good cost-quality ratio to potential buyers, than pouring trillions in concrete that no one need. So I think that J can make a good deal by adopt the Grippen and further develop the cost efficence concept without start from point zero.
itcher74 at 02:15 PM JST - 29th December

Commercializing the arms industry will makes things far worse. Arms is a non returning industry - that is, arms are produced for non economic reasons. The same materials that are used to produce weapons could also be used to produce for example, trucks which then can carry goods for commerce. As for the US going bankrupt, it is not due to military spending alone - there are many other factors at play. Besides, producing more doesn't mean actually selling more, which is what the US needs to do. Defence/Military spending is about Military needs, not economic ones (or should be, rather).

What I am trying to say is that since US has advanced military technology it would be better to use some of that on comercial technology and try to sell it. For instance the US military technology can be used on American cars and they can try to sell it because now US has to borrow money from other countries and the country is going bankrupt due to huge trade defecits and loans which they can´t pay back. US also needs to borrow money in order to maintain their military complex. In other words the US military is not sustainable for the US economy.
KumaNiku at 07:42 PM JST - 29th December

I rather want to see the LDP expend trillions of yens in a J fighter that can provide a good cost-quality ratio to potential buyers, than pouring trillions in concrete that no one need. So I think that J can make a good deal by adopt the Grippen and further develop the cost efficence concept without start from point zero.

That's all well and good, but there are far better platforms than the Gripen such as the F35, Typhoon or even the Rafale. Why would Japan want to become an arms exporter anyway? The market for that is far too crowded already and Japan is not well placed to become part of it. Japan should look to its own needs before even thinking about exporting arms.

itcher74 - I understand what you are saying, and I agree to a point - but placing the all the blame on the 'military industrial complex' of the USA for the current economic woes does not do the issue justice at all.

Again, the F35 is the best option for Japan in my humble opinion. And no - I don't work for LockMart.
MikeBarrymore at 09:19 PM JST - 29th December

The fact is Japan is totally skint and things will get worse. They've got America to babysit for them anyway the poor darlings. Tee Hee!
mareo2 at 10:54 PM JST - 29th December

That's all well and good, but there are far better platforms than the Gripen such as the F35, Typhoon or even the Rafale. Why would Japan want to become an arms exporter anyway? The market for that is far too crowded already and Japan is not well placed to become part of it. Japan should look to its own needs before even thinking about exporting arms.

Because is cheaper to buy and operate, but the most important point is that there is less problems with technology transference and licenses. Try to compete with the USA or EU in performance is pointless, most countries dont need so much power and even the people that need that, most of them dont have the money. If J can slowly learn to make one with the best cost-efficience ratio we can export it. Worst case, we stimulated domestic comsuption like the Rafale.
sharky1 at 12:16 AM JST - 30th December

It's not like the US ever told Japan that they could buy the F-22's anyway. F-22's are now gen 5.5 with their recent upgrades, and I wouldn't want anyone knowing how many I had, and whether or not I was still producing them.
OssanAmerica at 01:08 AM JST - 30th December

why does Japan need bigger and deadlier warplanes? You really want to be >like the USA? Wow...

Actually it' BECAUSE Japan (along wth many other countries) don't want to be like the USA that they need less quantity but more quality. Any nation politicially and/or geographically squeezed between the great military powers of the USA, Russia and China needs a high quality defense system. Something that will hold off the attackers until the powerful ally will come to your aid. In quantity they could never compete. Bear in mind also that the 3 great military powers have enormous offensive capabilities, while Japan has none at all.
KumaNiku at 07:02 AM JST - 30th December

Because is cheaper to buy and operate, but the most important point is that there is less problems with technology transference and licenses

It would appear that way, but if you define 'cheaper' in terms of the role requirements, lifespan, development potential and capability, the Gripen is not a good choice. It was developed as modern lightweight 'budget' fighter, but since its inception, the Gripen has been overtaken by technology, new requirements and international projects (see Sweden's whining over the Norwegian's choice of the F35 over the Gripen). As a result, the Gripen has had no export success, despite agressive marketing. In the end, it results in a more expensive plane with further limited potential.

As for the F22 - it is a superb plane, no question. However, it is not right for Japan. If Japan wants to be economical, it will need to go for few platforms - the F22 is a Air to Air fighter, but having just F22s will leave a capability gap in the JASDF, hence my championing of the F35 as the all round multirole solution for Japan.
apecNetworks at 10:15 AM JST - 30th December

It's a buyers market and it may be time for Japan to look around at what is available and find out what kind of contractual obligations exists on the purchase of a fighter. As courtesy, SDF should buy 5-10 F35, if for no other reason as to test it's capabilities. It is the future flagship that the SDF needs to concentrate on. Some considerations is needed to see the degree of latitude the various purchase contracts limits or allows. Second, how much of the Japanese industrial capability can modify the fighter - I believe SDF can take a 4th Generation and modify eventually to emulate a 5th Generation - it would compliment the industrial capabilities. Also, the actual personal relationship between the two parties need to be compared w/ others - if a favor is needed, would the other party offer it or would they deal w/ it. From my research, if the Boeing multirole fighter was offered, it would be preferable to the F35 since Japan had imput into the manufacture of the prototype and had strong, amicable relations w/ people there. The Boeing prototype is the fighter Japan should negotiate. Soooo many options, the SDF needs to go shopping and to discuss w/ regional allies on their opinions of various fighters - example: the Royal Thai Air Force are familiar w/ the Grippen, so should discuss it w/ them. New century, a new platform.
apecNetworks at 10:27 AM JST - 30th December

As far as the "best" deal for the JASDF, they know where I stand: It's politically not viable.
KumaNiku at 12:07 PM JST - 30th December

Also, the actual personal relationship between the two parties need to be compared w/ others - if a favor is needed, would the other party offer it or would they deal w/ it. From my research, if the Boeing multirole fighter was offered, it would be preferable to the F35 since Japan had imput into the manufacture of the prototype and had strong, amicable relations w/ people there. The Boeing prototype is the fighter Japan should negotiate. Soooo many options, the SDF needs to go shopping and to discuss w/ regional allies on their opinions of various fighters - example: the Royal Thai Air Force are familiar w/ the Grippen, so should discuss it w/ them. New century, a new platform.

Why would Japan want to be the sole user of something that isn't past or going past the prototype stage? If they were going to do that, they may as well start from scratch and develop and build their own - then, at least they would own the development and things associated with it.

Modifying a 4th gen to be like a 5th gen is not the same as having a proper 5th gen by a long shot. Also, Boeing's performance on contract deliveries has been well below par lately (Wedgetail, etc.) so there would be no guarantees at all about actually getting what they want anyway.

Remember, this is about giving Japan a plane that can provide capability for the next few decades, not a short interim stop gap measure like the Gripen.
apecNetworks at 12:17 PM JST - 30th December

From a US Corp. perspective, selling the F35 to Japan w/ as many preconditions placed on the fighter to put into question who owns it is a good deal for the US. I'm speaking in terms of what fighter would best fit into the special situation Japan is in constitutionally and strategically. BTW, SDF is not going to confront the PRC, the Russian Federation nor the US in the air per se. Deterrence is the goal.
KumaNiku at 12:54 PM JST - 30th December

SDF is not going to confront the PRC, the Russian Federation nor the US in the air per se. Deterrence is the goal.

Agree. Because the F35 is already a Multinational project, Japan can benefit from the large economy of scale and shared development. Also, there is nothing to stop Japan from (attmepting to at least) from integrating its own systems and manufacturing. And because of the large number of users, the F35 will have a consistent stream of support, improvements, shared experiences and benefits.

The F35 is a cost-effective deterrent (amongst other things) with huge growth potential well into the future. I don't sound too much like a sales rep for LockMart, do I?
apecNetworks at 01:42 PM JST - 30th December

If the F35 is that great of a fighter, the SDF should buy 10 of them. However, the candidate for the flagship fighter should be the one w/ very few preconditions placed on it (which connotes a 4th Generation), whereas the Japanese industrial leaders see GREAT potential in upgrade modifications, and ideally, they can work well w/ the manufacturer closely in coordinating modification efforts. The PRC industry has gotten alot of mileage from shopping around the world, piecing together a working fighter and now is really on a roll in building their own 4th/5th Generation plane - they now have a solid infrastructure to produce many things from it. SDF can not do less.
apecNetworks at 06:58 PM JST - 30th December

It should be added that, as posted years ago, the infrastructure to produce a fighter is more important than the manufacture of the fighter itself. W/ a robust infrastructure, the technologies developed can not only be incorporated into the other branches of the SDF, but serves as a testbed for some of the most advanced research and development in industrial application.

Japanese society is somewhat disoriented during these historic times, thus it would help to focus on certain things that definitely will grow in the long term. It's an odd perspective overlooking the Asia-Pacific, and frankly, not of much value in the US.