The two US bidders for Japan’s F-X fighter competition to replace that country’s fleet of about 90 F-4EJ and RF-4EJ fighters have delivered their proposals.
Boeing and the US Navy have submitted their joint proposal for the F/A-18E Block II Super Hornet to meet the requirement, while Lockheed Martin has teamed with the US Air Force to offer the F-35A JSF.
In a statement, Boeing Japan President Mike Denton said, “The Super Hornet is the world’s most advanced multirole fighter and its selection would provide the Japan Air Self Defense Force with new, unprecedented capability. The Super Hornet can provide the government of Japan with guaranteed pricing and a guaranteed delivery timeline, while equipping the JASDF with superior multirole capability for the defense of Japan.”
US Navy Super Hornets are forward deployed at Atsugi in Japan in support of the USS George Washington carrier battle group.
Lockheed Martin meanwhile describes its offering as “the pinnacle of fighter aircraft development”.
“We are confident that F-35 delivers unmatched cost-effective capability for Japan’s defence, now and well into the future,” the company’s campaign director John Balderston said in a statement. “We are committed to an enduring F-35 partnership with Japanese industry to deliver F-35’s transformational fifth-generation capability for Japan’s long term national security.”
Eurofighter is also expected to bid on the F-X requirement through BAE Systems with the Typhoon.
