Breaking news
Japan has selected the American stealth fighter aircraft F-35 to replace its old fleet of F-4's aircraft 2012111.
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World
Air Force News - Japan |
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Japan has selected the American stealth fighter aircraft F-35 to replace
its old fleet of F-4's aircraft. |
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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. 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. |
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| 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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