June 9, 200917 yr From Defense Aerospace Op-Ed: Japan & F-22: Why Not Reward a Reliable Ally? (Source: Lexington Institute; issued June 9, 2009) If there's one concept that the Obama Administration's national-security team really likes, it's partnering. Obama stressed global partnering when he was running for President, the security agenda posted on the White House web-site cites it as a key goal, and it is one of five "strategic principles" underpinning the quadrennial defense review. There's even a deputy secretary in the Pentagon's reorganized policy shop assigned to "partnership strategy." Of course, the Obama team didn't discover partnering. The Bush Administration's National Defense Strategy, which was prepared under the leadership of defense secretary Robert Gates, contained an entire section about strengthening alliances and partnerships. But Bush wasn't much of a consensus builder in the global community, whereas Obama clearly wants to claim that role. With the U.S. government currently spending five billion dollars per day that it does not have, he hardly has a choice. America really needs reliable overseas partners to share the burden of preserving global order. Which brings me to the curious case of Japan and the F-22 fighter. The Japanese government has been asking Washington for years to be allowed access to the stealthy F-22, which it regards as uniquely suited to its security needs. Those needs arise from being located in close proximity to Russia, China and North Korea -- all of which test missiles and fly military aircraft in the area around the Japanese home islands. If you were living in such a neighborhood, then you too would probably want to have a potent deterrent against aggression, and Japan has decided that buying the F-22 is the next best thing to having its own nuclear arsenal. There are plenty of other fighters that the Japanese could buy, but with the exception of the U.S. F-35 joint strike fighter, none of them is stealthy. Stealth would probably be necessary to successfully penetrate enemy airspace if the Tokyo government decided it needed to preempt missiles being readied for launch. But according to an article published in Air Force magazine last December, the F-35 isn't as stealthy as the F-22 in some aspects. It also isn't as fast; it isn't as maneuverable; it can't fly as high; and it can't go as far when flying supersonic missions. So Tokyo wants the F-22, a desire its defense minister reiterated just last week. This would seem to be what Secretary Gates calls a "no-brainer" decision. The Japanese have been reliable security partners of America for half a century, and they have a clear defensive need for the best fighter available. Not only can they afford the cost of modifying the F-22's sensitive technology to make it transferable, but once it is delivered they can carry more of the security burden in an important region (the U.S. deployed a dozen F-22s to Okinawa in May). The burden for both countries would be eased if they were flying similar fighters, and let's face it: America could use the export earnings. So why not sell Japan the 50 or so fighters they say they need? Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Michele Flournoy stated last month that rather than crafting an "arms sales policy," the Obama Administration wants to help partners build capacity by addressing real strategic needs. That's refreshingly pragmatic. Let's see whether it applies to America's most important partner in the Western Pacific.
June 9, 200917 yr Author From Aviation Week Japan Likely To Delay F-X Order Jun 9, 2009 By Bradley Perrett The Japanese Defense Ministry probably will delay its order for fighters under the F-X program until at least the fiscal year beginning April 1, 2011, a move that may lift Lockheed Martin’s chances of winning the competition. The delay minimizes one of the chief advantages of competitors over the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II — their earlier availability. By delaying its order the ministry is also giving the U.S. more time to change its mind regarding its ban on exporting Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptors. A deferral also gives the government more time to put an end to the country’s ban on arms exports, which prevents the Japanese industry from taking part in the main production run of whichever aircraft is chosen. An end to the ban is expected (Aerospace DAILY, May 27). The problem with the delay is that the aircraft that the new fighters would replace, Japan’s remaining McDonnell Douglas F-4EJ Kai Phantoms, must soldier on for longer. The ministry says that to compensate for the delay the Phantoms will be flown less intensively. That will extend their airframe lives but not prevent them from becoming steadily more obsolete. Under earlier plans, the ministry proposed to request funding for F-X fighters in the financial year beginning April 1, 2010. Under the F-X requirement, the ministry wants to buy 50 fighters to take over the Phantoms’ air-to-air role. It really wants the F-22 and will buy that stealth fighter if the U.S. will let Lockheed Martin sell it (Aerospace DAILY, June 4). Apart from the Lockheed Martin contenders, the country is considering the Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet and F-15FX Eagle, the Eurofighter Typhoon and the Dassault Rafale. The latter is considered a long shot, and its manufacturer appears not to be putting so much effort into the competition as the others are. A lack of information on the Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor and F-35 Lightning II is forcing the ministry to spend more time studying the requirement, the Yomiuri Daily says. That focus on the two Lockheed Martin aircraft is a hint that the F-35, now formally recommended to Japan by the U.S. administration, is at least a strong contender, and possibly the favorite if the F-22 remains unavailable.
June 11, 200917 yr Author ... a story of a jilted lover From Jane's Japan sets its heart on F-22s, despite proposed end to production By Jon Grevatt 10 June 2009 The Japanese Ministry of Defence (MoD) has refused to abandon hope of acquiring the F-22 Raptor, despite the Pentagon's announcement earlier this year that the fifth-generation fighter aircraft programme will be scrapped. An MoD spokeswoman told Jane's on 9 June that its position on the F-22 had not changed since the announcement on 6 April by US Defense Secretary Robert Gates that production of the F-22 would stop at 187 units. She added that Japan was continuing to lobby Washington in a bid to acquire information about the aircraft as it seeks to purchase a replacement platform for its ageing fleet of Mitsubishi/McDonnell Douglas F-4EJ fighters. "The MoD recognises that it is desirable to collect detailed information on fifth-generation fighters - including the F-22 - in order to appropriately review requirements for performance and others for an F-4 successor," said the spokeswoman.
June 12, 200917 yr Now, now ... We can't have all these extra orders. That would give the Air Force too much time to explain why it needs an extra couple hundred for itself!
June 16, 200917 yr Author From Jane's Japan faces 'substantial' obstacles on F-22 acquisition, warns USAF chief By Jon Grevatt 16 June 2009 US Air Force (USAF) Chief of Staff General Norton Schwartz has stated that Japan faces some "very substantial" obstacles in persuading Washington to allow the Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor to be exported. Speaking at a conference on 11 June organised by the Heritage Foundation, a Washington think-tank, Gen Schwartz cited legal, technical and "produceability" issues that Japan faces in its longstanding bid to acquire the aircraft as its next-generation (F-X) fighter platform. Jane's reported on 9 June that the Japanese Ministry of Defence (MoD) was continuing to lobby the Pentagon about possible sales of an export version of the F-22, despite the decade-long ban on overseas sales of the aircraft and despite a plan announced by the Department of Defense in April to halt Raptor production. "We have been requesting the US government to provide us with necessary information [about the F-22]. Our stance remains unchanged," said a Japanese MoD spokesman.
June 18, 200917 yr Author From Aviation Week MORE F-22S AND EXPORTS TOO Posted by David A. Fulghum at 6/18/2009 12:08 PM CDT Japanese defense officials are beginning to get wobbly about an early decision on the F-X because it appears now that the F-22 will stay in productions and studies are underway to determine what’s needed – or perhaps not needed – for an export version of the Raptor. Japanese Air Force officials told AW&ST that they need F-22’s speed and altitude in order to cover the western approaches to Japan. The JASDF has only one runway capable of handling fighters and that is in Naha, Okinawa. Yet their area of responsibility extends to within 125-150 mi. of China. They are concerned about China’s new advanced fighters like the Su-30MKK and a brand new air-launched cruise missile. Today, Rep. Neil Abercrombie, D-Hawaii said that Congress is going to reassert its oversight of the military and to expect at least “a couple of dozen more” F-22s to be funded. He predicted that Congress will “turn the thumbscrews” on Defense Sec. Robert Gates and force the Pentagon to spend money that has been appropriated for the stealth fighter. He swore to stop the “continuing destruction of the F-22 program” by Gates. “Congress cannot back down and let the executive run roughshod” over Congresses wishes. There may be discussions about the exact numbers and where the money comes from to pay for them, but there will be additional F-22 production, he says. Abercrombie also say data in the Quadrennial Defense Review in not valuable or reliable and dubbed it a “PR stunt.” It harms the budget process by stalling it and doesn’t offer a definitive pathway to a better military force. The effort to create an exportable F-22 will proceed once Sen. Dan Inoue, D-Hawaii, comes up with a Senate consensus view of how to proceed. The advantage of such sales will be that it brings down the cost of F-22’s for the U.S. he says.
June 18, 200917 yr Author The JASDF has only one runway capable of handling fighters and that is in Naha, Okinawa. Its a side note, but this seems an error. Maybe they're referring to the F-22 in particular? For example, Scramble reports fighter types (F-15s, F-2s, F-4s) operating from airbases around the country.
June 23, 200917 yr Author From Aviation Week Japanese Patient For Tacair Opportunities Jun 23, 2009 By David A. Fulghum Japan’s government is showing patience in pursuing leading U.S. aircraft for its F-X program, which is supposed to produce about 40-50 high-performance, fifth-generation fighters. The F-X is needed to replace legacy F-4J Phantoms. They have already been replaced in Okinawa with F-15s in the last few months because of the high operational tempo in the southwest area of responsibility, which extends to within about 150 miles of China. “That doesn’t do their F-4s much good, but it does move them out of front-line units,” one U.S. official there says. “Do the F-4s have enough life left in them to get to F-35? My understanding is that they are trying to pace them more conservatively to get them there. That’s why at bases like Naha [Okinawa] they replaced them with F-15Js.” Some Japanese officials still voice interest in buying an export version of the Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor, despite a congressional ban on Capitol Hill and disfavor high in the Pentagon. Meanwhile, Boeing has unveiled a stealthier F-15 Silent Eagle to compete with Lockheed and other rivals. As alliance partners, both Japan and the United States are concerned about interoperability, especially now as they are facing an increasingly complicated security environment in Asia and tight budgets everywhere. So they need to do more with less. Interoperability, joint basing, training and operations are part of the solution. There have been 36 F-15Js upgraded with active electronically scanned array (AESA) digital radars in the last two years, say U.S. officials with insight into the Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF) program. “I know Raytheon has been working very closely with the JASDF to extend the F-15’s effectiveness,” a U.S. official says. “In the absence of money for the F-X program in the midterm defense plan, they were able to get upgrades for the F-15.” However, aerospace industry officials say the JASDF is upgrading its single seat F-15Js with APG-63(v1) radars that provide digital reliability but not the AESA effect. It retains a mechanically scanned antenna. Japanese officials are looking for money to add the AESA antenna, which would convert the radar to v3 models. The further modification practically triples the radar’s range to 125-150 miles and makes it possible to lock on small targets, like cruise missiles, and stealthier aircraft. “I don’t think they want a bridge aircraft,” the U.S. official says. “They want to move directly from the F-4 to the F-X. But a lot of it is going to depend on many unknowns — the aircraft they choose, the timelines for production and delivery.” At the same time, there is also a sense that Japan may have hobbled itself in its capability to defend the disputed islands in the East China Sea by agreeing to an anti-cluster bomb effort. “Japan has [lost] defensive capabilities by joining the Oslo Convention for banning cluster munitions,” the U.S. official claims. “This isn’t going to enhance Japan’s ability to defend its homeland. It was a [politically] popular position and very sensitive issue here. Now the defense ministry will have to dispose of all its cluster munitions and won’t be able to deploy them anymore in ways that make operational sense. The ministry of defense is looking at the options.”
June 25, 200917 yr Author From Aviation Week's Ares Blog F-22 Priced at $290 Million Each for Japan Posted by David A. Fulghum at 6/25/2009 11:58 AM CDT Sen. Dan Inouye (D-Hawaii) has told the Japanese government that a fleet of 40 Raptors – desensitized for foreign military sales – would cost about $11.6 billion with deliveries of combat-ready stealth fighters beginning in 2014. But while congressional support for the F-22 is creating a lot of political interest and support, aerospace industry analysts say it’s all just rhetoric unless someone in the executive branch – preferably from the White House -- steps up to support extended Raptor production and export of the stealthy, 5th generation fighter. So far, that has not happened. However, some very heavy hitters are supporting both continued production and sales to Japan, in particular. Sen. Dan Inouye (D-Hawaii) and Rep. John Murtha (D-Pa.) are pushing both in public and behind the scene. The cost of preparing the F-22 for export was detailed in a letter from Inouye, chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, to Ichiro Fujisake, Japan’s Ambassador to Washington. Starting with the assumption of a letter of agreement in early 2010, major development would take “approximately four years, followed by ground and flight testing,” the letter says. Procurement of long-lead materials would begin in 2011 with production to begin in mid-2014, The first mission capable aircraft could be delivered to Japan in 2017. “The estimate for non-recurring development and manufacturing cost is $2.3 billion,” the letter continues. “The actual cost to produce forty aircraft is approximately $9.3 billion, bringing the total to $11.6 billion. Spreading that cost over an estimated forty aircraft leads to an average aircraft cost of $290 million.” An associated letter to Defense Secretary Robert Gates said the figures were calculated using “information which was provided by the Air Force,” Inoyue’s second letter says. “I believe the Government of Japan is likely to be interested in purchasing the aircraft even at the relatively high price which has been estimated.” The Pentagon is paying $142.5 million per aircraft as part of a multi-year contract. Aerospace industry analysts say that any break in F-22 production would add extra costs. Meanwhile, the White House’s Office of Management and Budget was drawing a number of lines in the sand marking disagreements with the House passage of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal 2010. A Statement of Administration Policy contends that OMB will recommend a veto of the proposed legislation if it includes $369 million in advanced procurement funds for F-22s in Fiscal 2011 or addition of $603 million for an alternative engine program for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. “This is nothing unusual,” says the industry analyst. “It happens every time” there is new defense legislation. There were other points of contention without the veto threat attached: Restrictions on the Missile Defense Agency limiting U.S. engagements with NATO and European allies regarding missile defense. The need to add proposals to build the capacity of partner nation special and conventional forces in order to improve and increase coalition participation in Afghanistan and Iraq. Requirements to maintain the strategic airlift fleet at 316 aircraft and restrictions on retiring C-5s. Restrictions on the Futenma Replacement Facility in Okinawa that would broach agreements reached with Japan and put the international agreement on the facility at risk. Restrictions on accelerated aircraft retirement by the U.S. Air Force. Reduction of $163 million in funding for the Army’s Extended Range Multi-Purpose UAV which would result in a 50% cut in systems planned for Fiscal 2010.
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