Japan plans July fighter jet tender seen worth $40 bln as China tensions simmer

Nice deal! Wouldn't mind 1 percent of that.

Who's getting the commission on this anyway?

It would be funny if the Chinese make a play for the contract. The big question though is, "How is Jgov footing the bill?" Oh of course, on the backs of the ever aging masses...

This should make everybody happy.......

better keep us army in okinawa otherwise the chinese will overrun this island in exactly 12minutes...

Gripens are great value. Dont think they would compare to the F22, but instead of 100, you could have A LOT more.

Should hold off on this since there is a National Pension shortfall.

And it's all about Diaoyu/Senkaku. China is making Japan go the way of USSR, make her spend spend spend till she go broke. Soon every runway in Okinawa islands will be filled with fighter jets. Do these people know they will become collateral damage due to Abe's militaristic policy?

Its either learn Chinese or stand up to them. Next intrusion or act of aggression by the Chinese should have a fatal response to the ship or aircraft or sub shoot it down and sink it fast Or surrender and Let Onaga and his chinese buddies take over

I sometimes think China is the best supporter of Abe's policy. China is actually helping him to do what he wants to do a lot.

My my my, the US and Japan military industry's Golden Age Era. Money Money Money. No thoughts or efforts to talking before arming.

Next intrusion or act of aggression by the Chinese should have a fatal response to the ship or aircraft or sub shoot it down and sink it fast

No. The first act of aggression should not be by Japan. No need to start a war over some taunting, that's just playing into the Chinese game. Do you think it's smart to play their game?

@jj1067 "I sometimes think China is the best supporter of Abe's policy. China is actually helping him to do what he wants to do a lot."

Up to a point. The more Tokyo park fighter jets and surface ships in the Ryukus islands, the more they become visible to natives there, especially those in islands closer to Diaoyu/Senkaku. Up to now it is Naha, Okinawa that bear most of the fighter jets heading towards Diaoyu/Senkaku and people in Okinawa bear most of JSDF and US forces presence.

When more JSDF shows up in the far flung Miyako and Yaeyama islands, the locals there will also be as agitated as those on Okinawa island, this time against JSDF as they will finally see Tokyo as using them to defend Diaoyu/Senkaku. At this point, the whole of Ryukus islands natives will more likely unite to declare autonomy or independence as they do not want to be frontline collateral damage in a war with China.

According to all the fine, intellectual minds here, the US is protecting Japan, and has been protecting Japan from being overrun buy China and Russia for the last 70 years, so why again does Japan need to spend 40, are your frikkin' kidding me, BILLION dollars?

Not sure how many that do participate in these discussion have had military background. However, it is important to keep things in perspective and evaluate from more than just one point of view.

Always, one must consider, who, what, when, where, how, and why; including whose, for whom, with whom etc. and for what, with what, etc., and timing, time period, frequency, etc. and location, territory, space, etc., and which, how much, mow many, etc. from the strategic as well as logistic points of view. Whew... that is a lot.

Put that together with probability, possibility, potential, capability, consequences, and etc., then you have more than a handful of ideas to consider. Then again think of from what and whose perspective to get what kind of results with what goal and objective.

Now that said... given the situation, circumstances and environment that Japan is now exposed to, "preparedness" is at the forefront for consideration. From the placement of rocket launchers during N Korea's rocket testing to sending naval vessels to the China Sea, "counter measures" work only "after the fact" and that is not "preparedness".

China two years ago launched a massive Aircraft carrier along with many nuclear submarines (not counted but confirmed) besides building aircraft carrier like facilities on the islands in China Sea. That is "preparedness" to a point of being "ready".

That "readiness" is exactly what is lacking in Japan. Militarily, Japan, even with this current expenditure falls far behind that of China and Russia, including probably N Korea and S Korea.

What say you?

What say you?

Japan is not lagging in a lot of ways you can ever imagine or scribe in your comment. Japan is making a way NOT to get far behind, not contesting but just getting in line. Now that is what you call PREPAREDNESS.

What say you again???

+kazetsukai

A senior JASDF pilot once told me exactly that, that they were training their pilots to meet "readiness" requirements not only in operation procedures but their mind set to be ready to actually fire arms when necessary. Men in SDF are taking things very seriously.

The kind of readiness lacking the most in Japan seems to be the government and high rank SDF(Ministry of Defense) decision making process and legal process to me.

From that view point Abe is doing his job to improve things though.

Good response from many of you.

Now I would suggest you view some of the "military" articles on MSNBC, ABC, CBS, BBC, and FOX. Then view CIA website with all of their openly available statistical data.

While domestic and world news say a lot, they do not cover the details which can and often do make a major difference in our perspectives. One must really look and search for relative and pertinent data and activities to get even a simple picture of what must be considered, analyzed and evaluated.

MSNBC has an article about Russia's nuclear icebreakers that now dominate the arctic. It also talks about the "definite"melting of polar ice which will open up the arctic for much easier access. Such information sheds a completely different light to strategic planning in military sense.

US and China as well as Japan has ?# of satellites in space of which how many ? are possible for military use? And many more such relatively harmless things and activities are of concern for any military strategist.

However for my simple mind, just knowing is not enough and to rely on a third party such as the USA is not the best way to say one is prepared and ready. That is because the USA must also be prepared and ready as well as available at the exact time of need to come and assist. That is exactly why RIMPAC and Japan, S Korea, US naval exercises. However, the question is will all the resources be available at the exact moment of need.

Israel is now faced with a fully armed Iran (per today's news) that has thousands of missiles "ready" to bombard Israel. Is Israel prepared and ready?

The same question for Japan. If N Korea just targets a US base here today without notice, is Japan prepared and ready?

"The same question for Japan. If N Korea just targets a US base here today without notice, is Japan prepared and ready?"

This is the question Abe asked the Japanese when he was trying to pass the new national security law. The law passed even though anti-Abe politicians are still trying to revise it. This law allows Japan the right to collective defense, which gives Japan to shoot down NK missiles flying to US.

Basically, Japan has been asked the question of "are you ready" since the day US military facilities were built in Japan. Then USSR and today China's targeting US military in Japan such as Yokosuka with missiles. Also, N.Korea would surely target Sasebo, Okinawa and Iwakuni from where US Marines deploy to Korea when 2nd Korean war occurs. NK wants to buy time before US forces come. Knowing that we have US bases in Japan. So Japan has been quietly ready.

But today typical "readiness" we are being asked is are we ready to engage with China before US assures its support. My understanding is that first battle for Senkaku islands can not be between US and China but between Japan and China. At first China opens fire, Japanese die, then Japan fires back and Chinese die, and then we see if and when US is coming. On the other hand Japan will never be ready to fight for the islands with China all the way alone, as Japan is not yet ready to with arm nuclear weapons.

Good this is a timely order. Sadly China has not learned anything from the entire 20th century of trouble and trials..and continues to act like a 19th century warlord. Those outdated techniques will not work in todays world.