Possible U.S. exports of F-35 stealth fighter has Japan gov't tied in knots
An F-3510+件 Lighting II fighter plane is seen in this image provided by Lockheed Martin.
拡大写真
Japan10+件-United States negotiations over the Air Self-Defense Force (ASDF)'s next-generation fighter jet, the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II, hit serious turbulence after the U.S. government demanded Japan take a stand on exports of the warplane to third countries.
Three basic principles governing Japan's weapons exports forbid sales to communist nations, countries covered by United Nations arms embargoes, and nations involved in or at risk of an international conflict. In 2011, the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ)-led administration relaxed the principles to open the way for Japan's participation in joint development and production of weapons with allies on condition that such weapons do not contribute to any military conflict.
If the United States began shipping the F-35 -- which includes Japanese parts -- to nations at war, however, this would clash with the third rule, and Japan10+件ese officials are struggling to resolve the potential conflict.
The U.S.-made F-35 is a state-of-the-art stealth fighter, and Japan plans to buy 42 of them for the ASDF. Furthermore, to promote Japan's defense industry, funds have been allocated in the fiscal 2013 draft budget for the domestic manufacture of F-35 parts and airframes under license from Lockheed Martin.
However, "It's possible F-35s containing Japanese parts could be shipped to countries like Israel," Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera told reporters during a Jan. 29 news conference. "We'd like to consider what arrangements we can make on the issue."
When the weapons export principles were set by the Cabinet of Prime Minister Eisaku Sato in 1967, Japan imposed an outright ban on exports to nations covered under its three tenets. This ban remained in force all the way to December 2011, when the DPJ-led administration of Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda softened the three rules to allow Japan to participate in multinational weapons development projects with allies, as long as "promotion of international conflicts can be avoided."
One nation likely to buy the F-35, however, is Israel -- which critics have said could very well attack Iran over the latter's suspected nuclear weapons program. Israel has also repeatedly bombed areas controlled by the Islamic fundamentalist organization Hamas. In other words, Israel is the very sort of country Japan is banned from sending weapons to under its three export rules.
To resolve this problem, Japan has asked that Lockheed Martin set up a separate production line for Japan-bound F-3510+件s, and make sure that Japan10+件ese-made parts are used only in these planes. However, "The U.S. has said that would be difficult," a Defense Ministry official told the Mainichi.
When the DPJ administration softened the three export rules, New Komeito -- now a governing coalition partner -- called the move hasty and vigorously opposed it. This is one reason for the current Liberal Democratic Party (LDP)-led government's reticence on the issue.
"We must hold careful discussions on the F-35 if the U.S. is going to export the plane to third countries," a senior New Komeito official stated. "We would not be able to approve any shipments to Israel."
Meanwhile, domestic production of the Mitsubishi-Lockheed Martin F-2 fighter wound down in 2011. With the F-2 project at an end, Japanese manufacturers are pinning their hopes on F-35 parts production to maintain the domestic defense sector. With pressure coming from both the United States and Japan10+件ese defense contractors, the government is facing a difficult decision on the export issue.
