Japan's F-35 Order

Japan's F-35 Order: Japan and the United States are expected to announce soon that Japan will buy 40 to 50 F-35A strike fighters in a deal valued at between $8 billion and $10 billion, according to industry officials. The order will signal the climax of Japan's years-long F-X fighter competition that pitted the F-35 against Boeing's F/A-18E/F Super Hornet and the Eurofighter Typhoon. Although the order will be for 40 to 50 aircraft, Japan has an actual requirement for as many as 200 fighters or more, Ralph Heath, Lockheed Martin Aeronautics executive vice president, told the Daily Report Tuesday. Heath said an order for up to 50 aircraft would replace Japan's aged F-4 Phantoms, but Japan would still need to replace its F-15 fleet, and, later, its F-2s, which are an enlarged, license-built version of Lockheed's F-16. Stephen O'Bryan, F-35 vice president for business development, said a Japan order would likely include creating a final assembly and checkout facility in Japan, but only for Japan's own aircraft since Japan cannot export war materiel under its constitution. O'Bryan said Japan could receive F-35s in the 2016 timeframe. The Japanese government has delayed the formal announcement until Dec. 20, reported Reuters on Wednesday.

—John A. Tirpak

12/15/2011

On the Record

Mission One
"The health and safety of our pilots—all of our pilots—is our utmost priority. Our operational flight surgeons and our medical staff interact with our pilots on a daily basis."
—Brig. Gen. Daniel Wyman, Air Combat Command command surgeon, speaking to reporters during a teleconference, May 9, 2012. He was emphasizing that the Air Force is doing all it can to ensure the safety of F-22 pilots as service officials continue to home in on the cause of why some Raptor pilots have experienced hypoxia-like symptoms in the cockpit like difficulty concentrating, fatigue, headaches, and nausea.

On the Record

Message to Congress
"If you give us force structure back, give us the money, too. Because the quickest way I know to a hollow force is to give us structure without money. Simple as that. . . . 'Make it work' is not a satisfactory solution."
—Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz articulating his message to lawmakers on the Air Force's Fiscal 2013 budget proposal during a speech at the Stimson Center in Washington, D.C., May 1, 2012. The Air Force leadership has proposed reducing force structure and personnel next fiscal year in order to maintain a ready and capable force as the service absorbs significant spending cuts.