Aircraft
Japan Proceeding with F-X Competition, Official Says
Japan is apparently proceeding on schedule with the
The Eurofighter supervisory board met in Japan in July, together with diplomats from the four nations that comprise the consortium, as the campaign to win the F-X contest gathered pace. (Photo: Eurofighter)
The Eurofighter supervisory board met in Japan in July, together with diplomats from the four nations that comprise the consortium, as the campaign to win the F-X contest gathered pace. (Photo: Eurofighter)

Japan is apparently proceeding on schedule with the F-X fighter competition, despite the large economic impact of the recent earthquake and tsunami, and a recent government reshuffle. A Ministry of Defense spokeswoman told Bloomberg news agency that a decision is likely by year-end. Requests for proposals were issued to Boeing (for the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet), Lockheed Martin (for the F-35) and Eurofighter last April. Formal responses are due at the end of this month.

Most observers believe that Japan favors the F-35 because of its stealth capability. The country’s earlier interest in the F-22 was rebuffed by the U.S., which declared that the Raptor would not be exported.