F-35 Sale to Israel Could Violate Japan Export Ban

Jan. 30, 2013 defense-aerospace.com

(Source: Asahi Shimbum; published Jan. 30, 2013)

Potential U.S. sales of F-35 stealth fighter jets, which include Japanese-made parts, to Israel could send Japan into turbulence because of the nation's ban on weapons exports to designated countries.

Lockheed Martin Corp. of the United States is developing the radar-evading aircraft. Japan has allocated 29.9 billion yen ($330 million) to acquire two F-35s--the first to be manufactured with the participation of Japanese companies--in the draft fiscal 2013 budget adopted on Jan. 29.

Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera admitted at a news conference the same day that F-35s that use Japanese parts may be exported to Israel.

The sale would conflict with the government’s three principles on arms exports, which ban exports to communist countries, countries subject to arms export embargoes under U.N. Security Council resolutions and countries involved in or likely to be involved in international conflicts.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said maintaining consistency with the ban is “under discussion within the government.”

The Cabinet of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will consider granting an exemption, but allowing such exceptions could undermine the three principles and render them meaningless. (end of excerpt)


Click here for the full story, on the Asahi Shimbum website.