China Urges Japan to ‘Act Cautiously’ on Considerations to Refit Izumo Class for F-35Bs
Well if the Chinese gov wants to properly discourage Japan arming in the face of a threat, perhaps the better move would be to help reign in the NK leadership and remove the salient reason for the new armaments and aircraft. The list of nations anxious to buy the F-35 grows.
Citing unnamed government sources, daily newspaper The Japan Times reported on 26 December that the country’s defence ministry is considering a plan to acquire F-35B fighters. The aircraft, which feature short take-off/vertical landing (STOVL) capabilities, are being considered for deployment onboard Japan’s Izumo-class helicopter carriers, the report added.
The Japan Air Self-Defense force (JASDF) is anticipating 42 F-35As with conventional take-off and landing (CTOL) capabilities, and in its latest defence budget, the Japanese government has allocated JPY2.2 billion (USD19.5 million) to equip this platform with the precision-guided, stand-off Joint Strike Missile (JSM) developed by Norwegian company Kongsberg Defence Systems.
More: China urges Japan to ‘act cautiously’ on considerations to refit Izumo class for F-35Bs