The estimated per-plane cost to Japan of acquiring a single US F-35A stealth fighter soared by about 53 percent to US$137.6 million (14.7 billion yen) in FY 2017 from an estimated US$90 million (9.6 billion yen) in FY 2012, according to a report by the Asahi Shimbun.
Japan Defense Ministry officials attributed the catapulting price on the currency impact of a weaker yen. But some defense analysts blamed the surging costs on Japan’s procurement of the aircraft from the US government’s Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program.
Asahi noted FMS sales are considered part of the defense aid that the US provides to its allies. Because of this, buyers like Japan tend to pay the asking price, versus what might have been paid by purchasing the plane directly from Lockheed Martin, its manufacturer.
“As the F-35A is aircraft loaded with sensitive features, it is difficult to verify whether the cost is reasonable,” a senior Defense Ministry official was quoted as saying. “It is true that we tend to accept the US asking price.”
Asahi said Japan is expected to deploy a total of 42 F-35A advanced fighters in stages, starting from fiscal 2018, as a successor to its aging, US-made F-4 Phantom fighters.
Japanese Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera applauded the deployment of Japan’s first F-35A stealth fighter jet at the Self-Defense Forces’ Misawa Air Base on Saturday, citing the need for Japan to respond to growing threats posed by China and Russia.
“It is extremely significant to deploy the F-35A at a time when neighboring countries are rapidly modernizing and reinforcing the capabilities of their air forces,” Onodera said at the ceremony. “Equipped with high stealth features, the F-35A is among the most advanced in the world.”
The US F-35 development program has been plagued with cost overruns since its inception. Dubbed the world’s most expensive weapon, the price of developing the F-35 has risen to an estimated $406.5 billion, according to July data.
China is introducing the J-20, a stealth fighter with similar performance characteristics to the F-35A. Russia is also developing the Sukhoi Su-57.
The F-35A is the standard takeoff version of the US fighter.
‘a senior Defense Ministry official was quoted as saying. “It is true that we tend to accept the US asking price’.”
I’d pay the asking price, too, if my country was militarily occupied by the vendor.
Its the Japan is to arms again because of chinese big treat in asian security in the region!
Bro China is ther neighbour not USA. USA ocupied their territory and bombed them with its nuclear arsenal. I think Japan should join China
Collis Munshya Rubbish China is no treat to anyone. Its the US causing problems in Asia we need to be concerned about the US bully boy CIA.and this type of inciting US Propaganda.
Japan should use money develop missiles like S-400.
Does this figure include maintenance and replacement parts, when available?
Collis Munshya you made a bunch of points so I’ll just answer a few. Tibet, before the Chinese reclaimed their sovereignty over Tibet, 80-90% of Tibetans were slaves. They didn’t not own property, they were not paid, and the most common punishments were cutting off fingers, cutting out tongues, and pulling out eyeballs. If you weren’t a Tibetan Buddhist, the Lamas either banished you or killed you. China gave Tibetans land rights, the right to own property, modern education, and the Tibetan people have never been more prosperous. Feel free to refute any of these claims.
The Hague decision on the South China Sea was essentially the U.S. paying over 22 million dollars to five people who have nothing to do with the U.N. to buy a verdict. This was the first time in history that the "court of arbitration" agreed to hear a case when both sides of a dispute refused to arbitration. Like when Hawaii tried to take the U.S. to the same court in 2000 but the court refused to hear the case because the U.S. government refuses to participate. See the hypocrisy yet?
As to greenhouse gases and coal, the Chinese invest more in green energy every year than the U.S. has in its entire history. Chinese use of coal isn’t constantly reducing, while the U.S. under Trump is attempting to revitalize the coal industry.
Don’t let your biases against China blind you to the truth.
Collis Munshya oops, sorry, meant to say that Chinese coal usage is constantly decreasing.