Japan plan to buy cutting-edge U.S. tankers and transport planes comes under fire from SDF official
The government is stepping up purchases of state-of-the-art U.S. military planes under Washington's foreign military sales (FMS) program, but its plan has come under fire from some corners — including Self-Defense Force officials. The Defense Ministry has sought ¥501.3 billion under the government's budget for ...
U.S. F-35Bs may conduct takeoff and landing drills on Japan's renovated Izumo carriers
The U.S. military's F-35B fighter jets could use Izumo-class ships for training exercises after the Japanese vessels are renovated to be able to host such aircraft, Defense Minister Takeshi Iwaya said Thursday. Takeoff and landing drills using the Japanese helicopter carriers, which are due to ...
Japan formally announces decision to buy F-35B stealth fighter jets from U.S.
The Defense Ministry has formally announced the selection of the U.S.-made F-35B cutting-edge stealth fighter jet as part of its plan to acquire short take-off and vertical landing (STOVL) aircraft. The ministry, which made the decision Friday, plans to renovate the Maritime Self-Defense Force's Izumo-class ...
Air Self-Defense Force concludes F-35A crash off northern Japan caused by human error
The Air Self-Defense Force concluded Friday that the April crash of an F-35A stealth fighter in the Pacific Ocean was caused by "spatial disorientation" on the part of the pilot and not by any mechanical problem. The conclusion is in line with an interim investigative ...
ASDF to resume F-35A flights four months after fatal crash off northern Japan
The Defense Ministry resumed flights of Air Self-Defense Force F-35A stealth fighter jets Thursday afternoon, having suspended them since a fatal crash in April, the first ever reported for the aircraft. In June, the ministry concluded that the crash of an F-35A into the Pacific ...
U.S. President Donald Trump has the authority to waive sanctions on Turkey for its purchase of Russian air defense systems and should find a "middle ground" in the dispute, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Sunday. Erdogan's comments came two days after NATO member Turkey ...
The crash of a U.S. Marine Corps F-35B that temporarily grounded the entire fleet of next-generation jets in 2018 was caused by a manufacturing defect in a fuel tube made by a United Technologies subcontractor, according to congressional investigators. The defect "caused an engine fuel ...
U.S.-chartered ship and Japanese research vessel to join deep-sea search for SDF's lost F-35A
Defense Minister Takeshi Iwaya said Tuesday a U.S.-chartered ship will within this month join a deep-sea search for an F-35A fighter jet that recently crashed in the Pacific. Iwaya told a news conference that the Van Gogh will join the search effort by the Maritime ...
U.S. and allies to have 200 F-35s in Asia-Pacific region by 2025
The United States and its allies will have over 200 F-35 stealth fighter jets deployed in the Asia-Pacific region by around 2025, according to Gen. Charles Brown, commander of the U.S. Pacific Air Forces. Brown presented the outlook during a recent interview at the headquarters ...
U.S. to send deep-sea recovery ship to aid in finding crashed ASDF F-35A
Defense Minister Takeshi Iwaya and U.S. Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan agreed Friday to step up cooperation both in the search for an F-35A fighter that crashed off Aomori Prefecture and in the investigation into the cause of the accident. Iwaya and Shanahan reached the ...
Japan and U.S. struggling to find wreckage of crashed F-35A despite around-the-clock search
The ministry said the remains of the jet’s tail had been found but they were still searching for the rest of the plane, which contains top-secret technological secrets.
F-35 stealth fighter that crashed off Japan didn't send distress signal before Pacific plunge
The single-seat jet had a system that would have emitted distress signals if the pilot ejected from the cockpit with a parachute, the ASDF said.
