Abraham Ait, The Diplomat: Why the F-35 Isn’t Good Enough for Japan
Tokyo looks to American and indigenous alternatives as a result of the joint strike fighter’s shortcomings.
During the Cold War, Japan’s Air Force deployed some of the most advanced aerial warfare capabilities in the world. The country’s large economy and strategic importance to the U.S.-led alliance network led it to be provided with the most elite American made fighters available. While lower tier U.S. allies such as South Vietnam and the Philippines were provided with lighter second generation F-5 fighters, Japan was sold large numbers of the heavy F-4 Phantom and was even permitted to jointly produce the fighters domestically. Japan went on to become an early operator of the fourth generation F-15, one of only three U.S. allies sold advanced air superiority variants of the fighter alongside Israel and Saudi Arabia. Most U.S. allies had to make do with the lighter and less capable F-16.
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WNU Editor: Talk about a total lack of confidence in the F-35. The above analysis bluntly outlines the reasons why the F-35 will not be able to meet Japan's aviation needs.