Japan eyes stealth fighters, vessel upgrades amid concerns over China’s growing clout
- Tokyo’s planned purchase of 100 F-35 stealth fighters is widely seen as a response to Beijing’s military build-up in the Pacific
Japan is expected to announce the purchase of 100 F-35 stealth fighters and the conversion of existing ships into full aircraft carriers in a move widely seen as a response to China’s growing military clout.
The planned purchase of the state-of-the-art Lockheed Martin aircraft and upgrade of two Izumo-class warships would mark a significant advance of Japan’s military capabilities.
The moves, expected to be included in new defence guidelines due next month, come amid Beijing’s military build-up in the Pacific and concerns about it taking control of the Diaoyutai Islands – known as the Senkaku Islands in Japan – in the same way it has atolls in the South China Sea.
Japan has already placed an order for 42 F-35 aircraft to replace the last of its obsolescent F-4 Phantom fighters, with the additional 100 jets to be delivered by 2024. A single F-35 costs more than Y10 billion (US$87.8 million).
The first 42 aircraft will be the conventional landing and take-off variant, although the second batch will include a number of F-35B jets, which are capable of short take-offs and landings, making them ideal to deploy on aircraft carriers.
Takeshi Iwaya, the defence minister, said on Tuesday that “a study is underway” to examine the operation of F-35B aircraft from the Maritime Self-Defence Force’s Izumo and her sister ship, the Kaga.