Japan considering the F/A-22 and other airplanes to replace its F-4 fleet

The Defense Agency has abandoned plans to develop its own fighter jets and will instead select foreign aircraft to replace the aging squadron of F-4s from next fiscal year, sources said.

The agency has already narrowed down the candidates to six from the United States and Europe, the sources said.

The Air Self-Defense Force currently has four fighter jets--F-15 and F-4 interceptors, plus F-2 and F-1 fighters for air-to-ship and air-to-ground attacks.The ASDF introduced the F-4s in 1973, and currently deploys 91 of them at the Misawa base in Aomori Prefecture, Nyutabaru base in Miyazaki Prefecture, and Naha base in Okinawa Prefecture.

Decommissioning of the F-4s will begin in the mid-2010s. In an initial stage, the agency plans to introduce seven fighter jets to replace F-4s by fiscal 2009, the final year of its midterm defense buildup program.

The replacements for the F-4s will likely come from the United States, the officials said.

The U.S. candidates include the highly advanced FA-22 and F-35, the F-15E, a remodeled F-15 capable of air-to-ground attacks, and the FA-18 used by the U.S. Marines.

The Defense Agency will also consider the Euro-Fighter, a jointly developed jet by European nations, the sources said.

Full article >>

I have to express my amazement at the Japanese considering the F-22 ! I suppose its nothing more than wishful thinking that the US would sell it to them. But on the other hand, I would'nt be too biwildered if it happens as well ... after these happened >>

China says it will attack Japan if it goes nuclear

China has warned in contact group meetings with the Russians that it will attack Japan in case it goes nuclear, and this comes amidst deteriorating China-Japan relations following Japanese attempts to gain permanent membership in the UN Security Council with veto powers.

Diplomatic sources said that the threat was conveyed two months ago, presumably based on Chinese intelligence that Japan was going nuclear, and since last year, Japan has become ambivalent about possessing nuclear weapons, its politicians obfuscating on the issue, saying that there is only a parliamentary resolution against weaponisation, while the Constitution does not specifically prohibit it.

link for full article..

Chinese sub illegally breaks into Japan's terriorial waters
In the early hours of November 10, a Chinese submarine was detected intruding into Japanese territorial waters off the Okinawa islands, some 1,600 kilometers southwest from Tokyo. The incident rapidly escalated into a full-blown diplomatic row as the entire Japanese political establishment stirred up fear and suspicion with alarmist statements about the Chinese military threat on Japan’s doorstep. An examination of the events reveals that the alarm was largely fabricated.

The submarine refused to obey Japanese orders to surface and fled the area. Even though the vessel had already left Japanese waters, it was tracked by a P-3C maritime patrol plane for hours.
full article >> www.wsws.org...

Japan ready to strike first if threatened: PM
The Japanese Prime Minister, Junichiro Koizumi, has indicated his country would be prepared to make a pre-emptive strike against a foreign threat, adopting the most strident position by a Japanese leader since World War II.

Mr Koizumi also advocated amending Japan's war-renouncing constitution to allow its 240,000-strong Self-Defence Forces to be called the military.
full article >> www.smh.com.au...

and more ....

[edit on 25-8-2005 by Stealth Spy]

Unlike the India and US diplomatic status, the Japanese have been a trusted ally for decades.

If the US opted to sell them or say the UK the F/A-22, it would be totally understandable and 'fine' in my book.







seekerof

But the chances of US selling the F/A-22 anytime soon is not going to happen your allies can be your enemy tomorrow.

The theory behind that ulshadow, something that despite what this article presented by Stealth Spy mentions, the F/A-22 is not up for considerations as an exportable item, as of yet.




seekerof

Originally posted by ulshadow
But the chances of US selling the F/A-22 anytime soon is not going to happen your allies can be your enemy tomorrow.

Especially at the rate Bush is making them...

Talk about upgrade, going form the F-4 t the F-15 or Eurofighter is a big improvement. Also the only way I can see the US selling the Raptor to the Japanese is if it would make its price go down via production so the USAF could get more.

Originally posted by Seekerof
Unlike the India and US diplomatic status, the Japanese have been a trusted ally for decades.

Sure Japan is certainly more of an ally than India, but i have to ask what relavence does India have to the matter at hand

If the US opted to sell them or say the UK the F/A-22, it would be totally understandable and 'fine' in my book.

Sure but when did the US say it was for sale anyway ?? The last time i checked, the F/A-22 was strictly not for sale and exclusively for the USAF.

And i am surprised that Japan are considering buying something that's strictly not on sale.

Well, I don't know about it... Ok, the Raptor is a hell of a good fighter... (yes i believe so too seekerof) But why don't they need them... They are really need them, cos after all. When they need help, the USA is the first nation to help with their million man army...!!!!

If the US opted to sell them or say the UK the F/A-22, it would be totally understandable and 'fine' in my book.

ahhhhh, the f22 is sooo great that they cant sell that crap, because is sooo great......

look the poor isralits, these guys went running by the lockheed offert,scared by the awful benefit-cost value of the plane....

the best option is the f35, but we must wait the real cost of the plane, now the airframe numbers are lowering -"lowering", hell i even dont know if that word exist, let me take a look in google...yes it exists - also is a plane still in development, so is probable that the cost will rise, anyway we must wait and see...

we must consider also the f18e, or even the f32 -i read a speculation abiut the interest of the japaneses, but i dont know, someone can confirm????

alsco consider even an.......EURO MARKET ATTACK!!!!!

[edit on 25-8-2005 by grunt2]

If there is any country that can get the F-22 if it wants it, it's Japan.

The defense relationship between the US and Japan is closer than any other such relationship with the exception of the UK.

The US can't be the sole user of the F-22. I wouldn't be surprised if the Japanese got it. Besides, the US could squash any uprisings so the Japanese aren't a monster threat. Yet...

The US can't be the sole user of the F-22.

Care to explain why they can't?

Originally posted by WestPoint23

The US can't be the sole user of the F-22.

Care to explain why they can't?

Yeah - where the heck did that come from?

Does that mean the US can't be the sole user of the B-2 or F-117?

ahhh, if the US is the only operator of the f22, that wont because they dont want to sell it, its just because the others dont want buy it

ahhh again comparing the f22s with the f117


[edit on 25-8-2005 by grunt2]

Remember Japan was building Aegis DDG's long before any foreign buyer, license producing F-15's before anyone but the Israelis could get their hands on them... Japan is a stable, reliable, extremely wealthy ally, and historically can buy from the US pretty much anything they want. They are already extremely technologically sophisticated, so worries about tech transfer are minimal (though we did screw them on the FBW code for the F-2 apparently - they wrote their own).





[edit on 8/25/05 by xmotex]

Originally posted by xmotex
If there is any country that can get the F-22 if it wants it, it's Japan.

The defense relationship between the US and Japan is closer than any other such relationship with the exception of the UK.

You are forgeting Australia, which fought in the Vietnam War. Neither Japan nor the UK did.

Originally posted by Darkpr0
The US can't be the sole user of the F-22. I wouldn't be surprised if the Japanese got it. Besides, the US could squash any uprisings so the Japanese aren't a monster threat. Yet...

Why not?

To Wit:

The F-117 (was offered to the Brits though)
The B-1
The B-2
The B-52
The C-5A


Etc, the USAF has never been afraid of a plane that cant (For $$$ or political reasons be sold in the export market)

That being said the short list of countries that may be offered the Raptor if it is approved for export is Japan, the UK, Australia, and Isreal. However, the latter two may not be able to afford it.

Just as an FYI I posted this last December:

As Its Defence Priorities Shift, Japan Eyes The F-22 Raptor For Its Air Force

Originally posted by FredT
That being said the short list of countries that may be offered the Raptor if it is approved for export is Japan, the UK, Australia, and Isreal. However, the latter two may not be able to afford it.

oh great!
if the israelis get it the chinese will have the whole thing copied in a years time.

Japan is probably the only country besides the US who could afford them but i think they would be better off with the JSF for many reasons including price. The Eurofighter is also a good option but only if they can't get the JSF, or get it soon enough for whatever reason.