Japan considers buying European fighter jet

Tokyo, Mar 19: Japan is considering the Eurofighter Typhoon as a replacement for some of its ageing fighter jets, in what would be a surprise move for a country that has hitherto relied on the United States for combat aircraft.

The Defence Ministry is examining its options as it plans to start replacing its fleet of 60 F-4 fighters as well as training aircraft in the next couple of years, the defence ministry said.

''Of course we are considering the Eurofighter among other options,'' a spokesman at the Defence Ministry said.

The Eurofighter is built by a consortium headed by BAE Systems, Europe's largest defence firm.

The Rafale fighter jet manufactured by Dassault Aviation of France, was also under consideration, the ministry spokesman said.

The US Congress has banned exports of its most advanced and most expensive fighter jet, the F-22A Raptor, built by Lockheed Martin and Boeing, possibly pushing Japan to seek other options.

The Raptor, a highly manoeuvrable single seater that can cruise at supersonic speeds, has advanced stealth capabilities that make it difficult to see with radar.

In their first deployment overseas in February this year, a group of Raptors on their way to the Kadena airbase on the southern Japanese island of Okinawa were delayed by software problems.

''We understand that the F-22A is an amazing aircraft,'' the Defence Ministry spokesman said. ''Approval would be needed from Congress, and that may be a factor.'' US Ambassador to Japan Thomas Schieffer said last week that Europe made good fighter planes, but that interoperability should be a factor in the decision.

''The more interoperability, the greater your ability to have an effect on the battlefield,'' he told reporters in Tokyo.

Japan and the United States have agreed to step up cooperation between their armed forces in the face of rising regional tensions after North Korea's nuclear and missile tests last year.

The allies are to sign an agreement on the protection of military secrets at a meeting of their respective foreign and defence ministers at the end of April in an effort to enable greater cooperation on missile defence, the Sankei Shimbun daily said today.

Reuters