Comments on: Raptors nesting in Japan?

By: Abe’s Advantage : Left Flank

Abe’s Advantage : Left Flank — Sat, 05 May 2007 01:18:15 +0000

[...] systems. And with a view as much towards China’s military rise as the North Korean threat, America even hinted it might sell Japan the advanced F-22 Raptor stealth fighter (though it later [...]

By: Wedge

Wedge — Tue, 24 Apr 2007 03:20:46 +0000

#9: “…one wonders whether they can afford and maintain a highly expensive and complex fighter such as the F-22.”

They can if they keep enough LockMart engineers on site.

As for upsetting the balance of power, treating Japan like an enemy when N. Korea and China are in the neighborhood is not the brightest behavior, but if it increases Korean defense spending, then cool.

By: mins0306

mins0306 — Mon, 23 Apr 2007 23:52:16 +0000

Sorry,

productions >> production costs.

By: mins0306

mins0306 — Mon, 23 Apr 2007 23:48:23 +0000

The export ban on F-22s has been enacted by the US Congress on 1998, so if any F-22 were to be exported the US Congress must vote to lift the ban.

Considering the above, there is a strong possibility that PM Abe will bring up the issue in his summit with Pres. Bush, but I seriously doubt that he will ask for 100 F-22s on the spot.

There are however reports that a proposal to sell a downgraded international variant of the F-22 is making its way around Washington (”at the three or four star level and civil decision makers” is how one source puts it) and the US is leaning to export F-22s to trusted allies in order to alleviate productions. So we may see some F-22 exports to Japan, Australia, and Israel around the 2015 ~ 2020 timeframe.

As for the Korean reaction, there is no official reaction so far. But an unnamed S. Korean military official has been quoted as saying that the purchase of F-22s by Japan will “upset the balance of power in NE Asia”, and may force the ROKAF to seriously review its future fighter procurement plans. An unnamed S. Korean defense analyst has also added that “the current 2020 Defense Plan does not take into consideration the procurement of F-22s by Japan thus S. Korea should seriously consider countermeasures to Japanese F-22s”

Despite the above statements, there is no word yet on whether S. Korea will ask for F-22s in the near future. But considering that the ROKAF has had trouble keeping its F-16s in the air due to poor maintenance procedures and siphoning of the maintenance budget for other purposes, one wonders whether they can afford and maintain a highly expensive and complex fighter such as the F-22.

By: James

James — Mon, 23 Apr 2007 11:48:24 +0000

Maybe we could lease some of the jets to Japan, with security contractors as pilots?

By: Wedge

Wedge — Mon, 23 Apr 2007 10:06:03 +0000

#1: At the bottom of the article, it mentions a JMSDF guy married to a Chicom with classified Aegis stuff on his home computer. So, perhaps nobody around here is to be trusted.

Anyway, if any foreign country gets a shot at buying the bird, it should be the Aussies.

By: Dave in Songtan

Dave in Songtan — Mon, 23 Apr 2007 09:48:27 +0000

Brendon, it’s funny you mention that. I recall getting some “yaki” (dreadful crap) wrapped in the old green/white striped computer paper just loaded with names, social security numbers, ranks, etc. Haven’t seen this lately, but I sure won’t buy that street crap again. They’re probably boiling it in the same oil as they did 14 years ago.

tocchin, try $117 million each.

By: tocchin

tocchin — Mon, 23 Apr 2007 07:28:39 +0000

As one of the Japanese tax payers, I think it is outrageous for Japan to pay $2,000,000 for each fighter jet. We would rather have nuclear bombs which are lot cheaper and more effective to deter Chinese aggression.

By: Brendon Carr

Brendon Carr — Mon, 23 Apr 2007 07:28:15 +0000

That $50,000 and a night with three Russian hookers thing is overstated. When I was in the service, and handling Tippy-Top Secret materials on a daily basis, I waited with bated breath for someone — Russian, Chinese, North Korean, it didn’t matter — to make the inevitable approach offering to hump the secrets out of me. Regrettably, the offer never came, despite all the tantalizing “warnings” received from the Special Security Officer.

Some of those secrets turned up from time to time on yaki-mandu wrappers on the streets of Songtan, which might have discouraged the Commies from thinking they’d have to ply me with sexual favors and illicit cash.

By: Andy Jackson

Andy Jackson — Mon, 23 Apr 2007 06:55:07 +0000

Or some white guy will send it to the Israelis, or some dude of random ethnicity will trade it for $50,000 and a night with three Russian hookers, or…