Japan's Ministry of Defense plans to seek funding for the purchase of six F-35 stealth fighter jets from Lockheed Martin in next fiscal year's budget to strengthen defense of remote southwestern islands against China, which has grown increasingly assertive at sea and in the air. The ministry intends to ask that $1.2 billion be set aside. The Air Self-Defense Force hopes to buy 42 of the aircraft in all to replace its fleet of aging F-4 fighters. The new fighters will be scrambled when foreign planes approach Japanese airspace.
Comments
Post a Comment