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| F-35 Lightning JSF (File Photo) |
By Paul Kallender-Umezu
Decisions Await on Legacy F-2, F-15s as Upgrades End
TOKYO — The purchase of the F-35 should give the Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF) next-generation intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance performance, but upgrades to Japan's F-2 and F-15 fleets can continue for only so long, and replacements will be needed in the mid-to-late 2020s, analysts say.
The JASDF is making a major investment in its slow but steady procurement of 42 F-35s. This year, the JASDF will purchase six units for ¥103.2 billion (US $827.4 million), plus ¥17.7 billion for initial expenses to promote industrial participation, and ¥18.1 billion for other equipment and training costs. Japanese companies will manufacture some 24 components of the F-35.
The Ministry of Defense opted for the F-35 in December 2011 at a cost of about $8 billion to replace 1970s vintage F-4 Phantoms, following a detailed RFP and reportedly severe competition from the Eurofighter Typhoon and the F-18 Super Hornet. The decision was, for many domestic commentators, highly controversial, given the F-35's well-publicized development difficulties and climbing price tag.
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