By chagpg @Adobestock
Reuters has reported that Japan wants to buy an F-22/F-35 hybrid to compete with the advancements of Chinese and Russian fighter jets. Japan is already buying the F-35, but wants a fighter jet like the export-banned F-22 which is more capable of winning dog fights. Tim Kelly of Reuters is reporting Lockheed Martin’s plan to draw up a formal proposal of the hybrid fighter jet.
Lockheed has discussed the idea with Japanese defense ministry officials and will make a formal proposal in response to a Japanese request for information (RFI) after it receives permission from the U.S. government to offer the sensitive military technology, said the sources, who have direct knowledge of the proposal.
The decision on whether to release parts of the highly classified aircraft designs and software to help Japan stay ahead of Chinese advances will test President Donald Trump’s promise to overhaul his country’s arms export policy.
The proposed aircraft “would combine the F-22 and F-35 and could be superior to both of them,” said one of the sources.
Read more here.
