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Japan considering developing its own advanced fighter jet

Japan plans to develop a prototype of an advanced fighter jet in the hope it will spur the US to review a ban on selling F-22 fighters, a news report said yesterday.

But an official at the Japanese Defense Ministry said no decision had been reached.

The Yomiuri Shimbun said the Defense Ministry plans to request a budget for the next year to build the test model of a stealth fighter jet.

The project is expected to cost billions of yen over the next 10 years, the report said, without saying where it obtained its information.

It would be the first time since the 1970s that Japan has developed its own fighters, although the Yomiuri said developing the prototype would not necessarily lead to actual aircraft production.

Japan's agreement with the US to jointly produce F-2 fighter jets ends in 2011 and Tokyo wants to build on the technology base achieved during that relationship, the paper said.

Japan has expressed interest in advanced F-22 fighters. However, the US Congress has repeatedly banned the sale or license of the F-22 Raptor to any foreign government to safeguard its advanced technology.

The latest attempt to repeal that ban was shot down in the US Senate earlier this year.

A Defense Ministry spokesman said the ministry has been studying stealth fighters but has not begun considering building a prototype. He also said no decision has been reached regarding the budget request as reported by Yomiuri.

The F-22 was originally designed by the US to counter the threat of advanced Soviet Su-27 fighters during the 1980s.

Though that threat has diminished, Japan is now seeking to counter a Chinese fleet of those same fighters.

Yomiuri reported that by showing interest in building its own fighters, Japan apparently hoped the US might review its ban and cut prices of the F-22, which costs US$130 million a plane.

The report said it is not certain developing the prototype would lead to actual production of fighter jets in Japan.
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