Quoting a senior official in the Japan’s defence ministry, Jane’s Defence Weekly noted that delay in finalization of Tokyo’s next generation fighter aircraft requirement may limit it to buying F-35 fighter, instead of participating in its joint development. Japan had long expressed its desire to participate in the US led multi-county development of the F-35, the only globally available 5th generation fighter. The continuous delay in issuance request for the same has however made F-35 “essentially an import issue”, noted the official.1

• 1. Jon Grevatt, Japan looks to ‘off-the-shelf’ JSF purchase as chance to join programme fades”, Jane’s Defence Weekly, August 12, 2010, at http://www.janes.com/news/defence/jdw/jdw100813_1_n.shtml