57453536 Japan break the monopoly of the U.S. domestic market of military aviation
The Ministry of Defence of Japan intends to begin negotiations with the European consortium Eurofighter about buying fighter Typhoon. On this, as reported Avionics Intelligence, Defense Minister Yasuo Ichikawa (Yasuo Ichikawa). The final decision to buy 42 fighter jets, which can break the monopoly of the U.S. domestic military aircraft, will be accepted until the end of 2011. The overall cost of buying European fighters is estimated at six billion. It should be noted that Japan did not buy the first European aircraft purchasing military equipment from U.S. manufacturers. Currently, the Air Force in Japan mainly operate flights on aircraft of U.S. or sharing with U.S. production. The exception is YS-11 aircraft of Japanese design, created in the transport, patrol and reconnaissance versions. Negotiations with the Eurofighter will begin in the tender for the supply of fighters held by the Ministry of Defense of Japan since April 2011. The competition, U.S. companies Boeing and Lockeed Martin and the British BAE Systems (one of the shareholders Eurofighter), have offered Japanese war fighter F/A-18 Super Hornet, F-35 Lightning II and Typhoon, respectively. "If they (the United States – Note " tapes. py ") do not sell us F-22s and F-35 is not ready, then the market has lots of offers of fighters that suit us, " – said Ichikawa. Earlier, Japan for several years, the U.S. requested permission to purchase F-22 Raptor, but has been regularly refusing – the U.S. Congress prohibited exports of aircraft, for fear of leakage of technology. Proposed tender for the Japanese F-35 United States also referred to as the fifth-generation fighter, but the development of this aircraft has not been completed and finished, is not expected before 2018. Ichikawa has not explained what can not arrange to Japan Fighter Super Hornet. Tender for the supply of fighters FX was launched in Japan in mid-April 2011. New aircraft will be required to replace outdated fighter F-4EJ Kai Phantom joint US-Japanese production. While going to buy 42 fighter jet, but with the possibility of writing off obsolete F-15J order quantity may increase to 150 units.
