Behind Japan's Big Arms Buy

Behind Japan's Big Arms Buy: How Washington Is Militarizing Its Asian Ally -- Humza Ahmad, Foreign Affairs

Last December, Tokyo announced that it would purchase Lockheed-Martin's F-35 Lightning II as its next-generation jet fighter. In doing so, it disappointed BAE Systems, the European maker of the Eurofighter Typhoon, which had hoped to win the $4.7 billion contract itself. For a while, it seemed as though it might. The Lockheed deal had its downsides: Initially, Japanese firms would have played no role in producing the new jets; likewise, they would not have had access to the secret technologies used in the F-35's design. It was not until Lockheed agreed to allow domestic contractors to participate in building the new jets and share some top-secret technologies that Japan decided to make the deal. In retrospect, that move should never have been in much doubt. The contract closely follows Japanese defense policy precedent: acquiring the most advanced American military hardware available under licensing agreements, producing that hardware in Japan to boost the economy, and keeping the U.S.-Japan alliance tight, positing Japan as a buffer between the United States and the region's major powers.

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My Comment: China's rise is what has changed this strategic relationship .... and from it .... as the US military's influence declines in the region .... the rise of Japan's military is to be expected. But while this relationship is applauded in both Washington and Tokyo, this is a development that is raising concerns across Asia.