From Aviation Week

 

[Hot on the heels of the report of a request by Israel for export of the F-22 ... ]

 

F-22 attractive to Japan as missile threats grow

David A. Fulghum/Aerospace Daily & Defense Report

 

Japanese military officials are eyeing the F-22 Raptor as an antidote to growing regional missile threats, Aviation Week & Space Technology will report on April 23.

 

The Lockheed Martin-built fighter is expected to become a key element in missile defense because it can detect and destroy small cruise missiles and also evade sophisticated air defenses to bomb ballistic missile launch sites. Whether Japanese law might be interpreted to allow the country's Self Defense Force to use the bombing to defend against ballistic missiles is still an open question.

 

Japanese military officials are quietly but firmly making it known they want the U.S. to release the F-22 to compete for its air force's F-X fighter program, and that they are adamant in wanting to field the most advanced air combat technology available.

 

Tokyo wants a stealthy fighter equipped with an active electronically scanned radar for cruise missile detection and wideband data links to push additional information into Japan's increasingly sophisticated air defense system - a package offered, for the moment, only by the F-22.

 

"I'm aware the Japanese are interested in the F-22," Gen. Peter Pace, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said last week in response to an Aviation Week question. "I'm also aware of our concerns about what we export and don't export of our high technologies. The Japanese are very close friends. We're committed to protecting Japan, so we'll work our way through it. We all need to be concerned about both ballistic and cruise missile defense. It's something that we...need to work on."

 

However, Congress is demanding oversight and approval of any plan for foreign sale of the stealth fighter, and active marketing of the aircraft is prohibited. The U.S. has been trying to pitch either an upgrade of in-service designs (such as F/A-18E/Fs or F-15Es equipped with advanced, small-target, long-range radars) or the Lockheed Martin F-35 Joint Strike Fighter for the F-X program. The primary driver for the F-X requirement remains air superiority - which includes cruise missile defense - for which Tokyo wants the F-22 made available.

 

Release of the F-22 is becoming a point of pride with the Japanese, who provide the U.S. forward bases in the region as well as dispersal and rapid deployment options in case of a military confrontation or natural disaster in the region, U.S. officials say.

From Aviation Week

 

F-22 Tops Japan's Military Wish List

Apr 22, 2007

By David A. Fulghum and Douglas Barrie

 

Top Japanese military officials are quietly but firmly insisting they want the U.S. to release the F-22 to compete for the air force's F-X fighter program, and are adamant about fielding the most advanced air-combat technology available.

 

Tokyo wants a stealthy fighter equipped with an active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar for cruise missile detection and wide-band data links to push additional information into Japan's increasingly sophisticated air defense system. For the moment, only the Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor offers all these features.

 

Access, however, is far from assured, with the U.S. Congress requiring over-sight and approval of any plan for foreign sale of the stealth fighter. The U.S. has been trying to pitch either an upgrade of in-service designs (such as F/A-18E/Fs or F-15Es equipped with advanced, small-target, long-range radars) or the Lockheed Martin F-35 Joint Strike Fighter for the F-X program. The primary driver for the F-X requirement remains air superiority--which includes cruise missile defense--for which Tokyo wants the F-22.

 

Japan also faces the cost of integrating an anti-tamper kit on key technologies, including hardware and software, on the F-22. Estimates range from $600 million to $1.2 billion. Key software that would be protected, for example, manipulates and integrates the advanced, cruise missile-detecting radar and long-range electronic surveillance array, as well as the aircraft's other target-detection and analysis sensors.

 

U.S. aerospace industry officials say the cost would be no more than $1 billion--if it means integrating a new common processor--and could be "far less," depending on how much or little the U.S. determines must be protected, according to a study done when Australia was considering buying the F-22.

 

Were Washington to nix release of the F-22, then European manufacturers would try to capitalize on the opportunity. The Eurofighter Typhoon is already being pitched for Japan. A variant fitted with an active "E-scan" radar array and the Meteor rocket-ramjet radar-guided air-to-air missile would offer a capable air superiority platform.

 

One way to defray some of the potential cost would be if the U.S. Air Force also buys the new computer as an F-22 upgrade. Moreover, if Japan buys the aircraft, it would reduce the cost of F-22s to the U.S. Air Force and perhaps let it acquire a few more of the advanced fighters, a crucial need if the F-35 JSF program slips.

 

Release of the F-22 is becoming a point of pride with the Japanese, who provide the U.S. forward bases in the region as well as dispersal and rapid deployment options in case of a military confrontation or natural disaster, say U.S. officials. Exporting the technology isn't a concern for U.S. combat pilots, since software packages for U.S. versions of the aircraft will always contain extra capabilities. In addition, U.S. military officials are privately asking administration and senior Pentagon civilians to reconsider the export restrictions, at least for Japan.

 

"I'm aware the Japanese are interested in the F-22," Gen. Peter Pace, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told Aviation Week & Space Technology last week. "I'm also aware of our concerns about what we export and don't export of our high technologies. The Japanese are very close friends. We're committed to protecting Japan, so we'll work our way through it. We all need to be concerned about both ballistic and cruise missile defense. It's something that we . . . need to work on."

 

There also seems to be a Pentagon precedent for meeting Japan's high-tech needs.

 

"We had an identical situation with the F-15," says a U.S. aerospace industry official close to the program. "It was a point of pride with the Japanese, and even though the F-15 was considered exceptional technology, they had it within two years of initial operational capability in the U.S. Air Force. The U.S. Air Force and the Japanese Ministry of Defense want the sale to take place, but what's missing this time is someone pushing it at the State Dept. level. There needs to be political pressure, but right now there's no vocal advocate."

 

What may change the formula is the growing awareness of cruise missile technology proliferation and the fact that little attention has been paid to fielding cruise missile defenses in Japan, which is only a few hundred miles from North Korea and China and would be the most vulnerable from a surprise attack.

 

"Once the Japanese politicians realize that it's a matter of national survival, not just national pride, it could generate support outside the Japanese Self-Defense Force," the industry official says.

 

The F-X fighter competition is "hot--too hot" to discuss openly for defense, industrial and political reasons, say Japanese officials. But they are determined to accept only the most sophisticated fighter technology. As a military issue, the concern is determining just what constitutes offensive capabilities that are prohibited by the Japanese constitution. An effective counter against ballistic missile attack for most countries includes penetrating enemy air defenses to bomb launch sites before missiles can be fired. In addition, whatever fighter design is chosen must have substantial input from Japanese industry to get political support. The U.S. may have to share some manufacturing processes.

 

Finally, China is insisting that to show good faith, and strengthen commercial ties, Japan must avoid what it contends are militarily provocative steps. That includes Japan's support for the U.S., which would likely intercede in a Chinese military confrontation with Taiwan. Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao told the Japanese Diet: "We will never tolerate Taiwan's becoming independent."

 

The Japanese and Chinese governments have expressed regret over treatment of each other's civilian populations. But Wen says China wants Japan to follow up its apologies for aggression in World War II "with actual actions." Japanese analysts take that to mean they are being warned to stop any action linked to war-related issues. That could include defense modernization, U.S. joint training and operations, or even development of a Japanese air-to-ground bombing capability.

 

Buying the F-22 could push against those Chinese limits, particularly because of the network integration capabilities and long-surveillance range the fighter brings with it. It undoubtedly would extend the footprint of Japan's defenses. Land elements of the ground-based missile defense system have already been improved with a powerful X-band radar and PAC-3 Patriot batteries. The latter have electronically scanned array radars capable of detecting cruise missiles and deceiving them with jamming and false targets, in addition to their better known ballistic missile capabilities.

 

The Japanese air force is already adding major pieces needed for an advanced airborne defense. That includes their E-767 AWACS (for long-range, early warning of aircraft-launched, cruise missile attack) and KC-767 tankers (to keep anti-cruise missile fighter orbits aloft for extended periods). What's still missing is a longer endurance fighter with a radar powerful enough to detect small targets such as cruise missiles at ranges great enough to intercept them. New AIM-120 Amraam missiles (C-6, C-7 and D variants) are being developed specifically for high probabilities of kill against cruise missiles.

 

The older F-15's manually scanned radar has a range of about 56 mi. Japan's newest F-2 fighter (a larger F-16 variant) has a rudimentary AESA radar, but its range and picture is almost identical to mechanically scanned designs, say Japanese fighter pilots. By comparison, the F-22's radar has a 125-150-mi. range and can discriminate small, perhaps even some stealthy objects.

 

Senior Japanese officials want to buy the F-22 as a continuation of their long-standing policy to field the best fighter technology--an effort that earlier brought them the F-4J Phantom II and F-15J Eagle. In addition to carrying new weapons and sensors, the F-22 can operate about 3 mi. higher (at 65,000 ft.) than other fighters. That gives better situational awareness of the battlefield. It also offers supercruise--the ability to fly at supersonic speeds for extended periods--which allows F-22s to range quickly over a larger battlefield.

 

U.S. military officials tried to promote the idea that Japan could buy a 4.5th-generation fighter--advanced weapons, sensors and networking, but without stealth--as a bridge to the fifth-generation F-35, which is designed as a stealthy, export aircraft. Singapore made that move with the F-15SG, as did Australia with the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet. They are both partners in the Joint Strike Fighter program. Moreover, the U.S. is moving its only squadron of AESA-radar-equipped F-15Cs from Elmendorf AFB, Alaska, to Kadena AB in Okinawa, Japan. However, so far, the idea of a bridge aircraft has been rejected by the Japanese.

From Defence Talk

 

Momentum seen for allowing some exports of F-22s

Reuters | Apr 24, 2007

 

WASHINGTON: Japan is interested in buying Lockheed Martin Corp.'s radar-evading F-22 fighter at a time when sentiment is growing in the Air Force and among lawmakers in favor of allowing selected exports, defense analysts and congressional aides said on Monday.

 

Any move to sell the F-22 or "Raptor" abroad would require a change in federal law and probably some changes in the software currently used by the F-22, they said.

 

But exports would help keep the F-22 production line running until Lockheed is due to ramp up production of its F-35 Joint Strike Fighter later this decade, securing and possibly creating more U.S. jobs.

 

"There is growing sentiment in the Air Force for allowing exports of the F-22 to trusted allies, because we need allies that have our capabilities, and those allies might be willing to pick up part of the bill," said Loren Thompson of the Virginia-based Lexington Institute.

 

He said it would lower F-22 unit costs and could help Washington foot the bill for developing a long-range fighter-bomber version of the F-22 to replace the F-15E Strike Eagle, built by Boeing Co. <BA.N>.

 

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe may raise the issue when he meets President George W. Bush in Washington next week, and his defense minister is widely expected to discuss the matter with U.S. defense officials.

 

On Sunday, the Kyodo news agency reported that Japan's defense ministry was considering buying F-22s and Boeing F-15FX fighters to replace its aging fighter jets.

 

JOINT EXERCISES

Japan and the United States want to step up cooperation between their armed forces in the face of rising regional tensions after North Korean nuclear and missile tests.

 

This week, the U.S. and Japanese air forces will hold their first joint exercises with a squadron of F-22s that are temporarily based at the U.S. Kadena Air Base in Okinawa.

 

One U.S. Air Force official, who asked not to be named, said Japan's strong interest in the F-22 underscored the continued need for advanced air superiority fighters, even though recent wars have not involved air-to-air combat.

 

Israel also recently expressed interest in the Raptor.

 

Some critics argue that the F-22, which was first conceived during the Cold War, is not needed for the type of fighting in which the United States has been engaged in recent conflicts.

 

Air Force officials insist that the Raptor, which is equipped for ground attack, electronic attack and signals intelligence roles, is a critical part of U.S. military strength.

 

"Until the law is changed, we aren't even looking at it," said Air Force spokesman Don Manuszewski.

 

Lockheed would say only that current law bans exports.

 

Thompson said that technology transfer issues, mostly linked to the airplane's software, still need to be resolved.

 

The Air Force has long insisted it really needs 381 F-22s but only has enough money to afford 183 of the planes.

 

Given tightening budgets, anything that could lower U.S. Air Force costs and secure U.S. jobs sounds "very tempting," said one congressional aide, who asked not to be named.

 

Analyst Richard Aboulafia of the Virginia-based Teal Group said he considers the amendment banning foreign sales of the F-22, which was attached to the defense appropriations law in fiscal year 1998, "political theater from the start.

 

"I always expected that the minute there was a serious buyer out there, it would be dropped," Aboulafia said.

 

The law is known as the Obey Amendment since it was introduced by Rep. David Obey, a Wisconsin Democrat and the current chairman of the House Appropriations Committee.

 

Obey's spokeswoman had no immediate comment on Monday.

From Defence Talk

 

US eyes advanced fighters for Japan

Reuters | Apr 26, 2007

 

WASHINGTON: The United States would welcome talks on supplying next-generation fighter aircraft to Japan, a U.S. official said Wednesday, before a meeting this week between President Bush and Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

 

"China is modernizing at a rapid pace, its air force," said Dennis Wilder, senior director for East Asian Affairs on the White House National Security Council staff, replying to a question about Japan's reported interest in Lockheed Martin Corp.'s F-22 "Raptor" fighter jet.

 

"The Japanese obviously feel some threat in relation to North Korea and its development of missile and nuclear capabilities," Wilder added at a briefing on Abe's visit.

 

"And so we are very positively disposed to talking to the Japanese about future-generation fighter aircraft," he said.

 

"Whether it's going to be one model or another of aircraft is an open question at this point."

 

Japan's defense ministry is mulling radar-evading F-22s and F-15FX fighters built by Boeing Co. as replacements for its aging inventory, Kyodo news agency reported on Sunday quoting sources close to the matter.

 

Israel also has shown interest in acquiring the F-22, which entered the U.S. combat fleet in December 2005, 20 years after it was conceived to battle Soviet MiG fighters over Europe.

 

As a prelude, the U.S. Congress would have to lift a decade-old ban on overseas sale of the F-22, the most advanced U.S. air-superiority fighter. The ban was enacted to make sure the United States kept its technological edge.

 

Exports would help keep the F-22 production line running until Lockheed enters full-rate production of its next- generation F-35 Joint Strike Fighter later this decade, securing U.S. jobs.

 

"Obviously the Air Force and the U.S. aerospace industry are in favor of lifting the ban on F-22 exports," said Christopher Bolkcom, the top warplane expert at the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service.

 

Loren Thompson of the Arlington, Virginia-based Lexington Institute, said before Wilder spoke: "There is growing sentiment in the Air Force for allowing exports of the F-22 to trusted allies, because we need allies that have our capabilities, and those allies might be willing to pick up part of the bill."

 

But a senior Japanese official who briefed reporters here on condition he not be named did not expect Abe to raise the F-22 issue with Bush.

 

The official said cooperation on ballistic missile defense would be "high up on the agenda" for Abe, who is due to arrive on Thursday for his first U.S. visit since becoming prime minister in September.

 

On Friday, Bush and Abe will hold talks and appear at a joint news conference at the Camp David presidential retreat in Maryland.

 

(Additional reporting by Paul Eckert)

From Flight International

 

DATE: 01/05/07

SOURCE: Flight International

Japan asks USA to ease fighter export restrictions

By Siva Govindasamy

 

Conditions could be lifted as Washington looks to help ally and keep F-22 in production

 

Japan is asking the USA to ease restrictions on the export of the Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor, and to provide information on it and the Lockheed F-35 Joint Strike Fighter as part of its search for a new generation of multi-role combat aircraft.

 

Sources in Tokyo say that prime minister Shinzo Abe raised the issue in meetings with US president George Bush in Washington DC last week, and Japanese defence minister Fumio Kyuma will bring it up when he meets defence secretary Robert Gates on 30 April.

 

This is sought as part of a replacement exercise for Japan's ageing McDonnell Douglas F-4 fleet. Industry sources, however, say that while Washington could release information pertaining to the F-35 in the next few months, it could take a little longer over the F-22.

 

The US Congress has imposed restrictions on the export of the F-22 due to its highly sensitive equipment, although this could be reviewed as Washington looks to help a close ally and Lockheed seeks to keep the fighter's production line open. Japan is also one of the few nations that could afford the $200 million F-22.

 

A review of Japan's pacifist constitution could also help Tokyo's case. Current interpretations of the post-Second World War constitution forbid such a role, with the country's military only allowed to exercise self-defence. A change could help convince the USA that Japan, which along with Australia is its closest ally in the Asia Pacific region, should get access to top-notch military hardware such as the F-22.

 

Whether Congress eases restrictions on the Raptor in time, however, is in doubt. Japan would ideally like enough information on both aircraft to include them in a request for proposals by the end of 2007. It plans to award a contract by the end of 2008 and start taking delivery of the new fighters in the 2009 fiscal year. It is also likely to seek information on Boeing's F-15 and F/A-18, the Dassault Rafale and the Eurofighter Typhoon.