The U.S. and Japan have recently beefed up their defense alliance with an eye to China.
Here s What You Need to Remember: Given its consistent and growing presence in the Pacific, the U.S. Navy would be very well positioned to respond in defense of Japan with Carrier Strike Groups, air assets from Guam or even amphibious forces dispatched to safeguard the islands from any kind of Chinese incursion.
The U.S. military and Japanese Self Defense Forces have mutually committed to strengthening alliances, training opportunities and joint military exercises as part of a decided effort to take a stronger stance against Chinese provocations in the region.
Japan Will Buy a Lot More F-35 Stealth Fighters
The move comes and Tokyo seeks to modernize its air force in the face of North Korea and China.
Japan has decided upon making a massive, $23 billion F-35 stealth fighter purchase as part of a specific and decided strategic plan to counter Chinese and North Korean threats in Asia and replace its aging, yet high-performing, fleet of F-15J fighter jets.
In total, Japan appears to be buying nearly seventy F-35As and forty-two F-35Bs as part of a collective multi-year effort to overhaul its air fleet of existing, decades-old F-15Js and F-4s, a story in
China has turned East Asia into a dangerous neighborhood.
Here s What You Need to Remember: A larger fleet of F-35 jets would also give Japan much greater reach, scope and territorial advantage as larger numbers of F-35 jets, engineered with high-fidelity, long-range sensors networked to one another through a common data link, would vastly expand the potential reach of any kind of large-scale engagement with China. China’s much larger size and geographical advantage could be mitigated or offset by larger numbers of dispersed, yet interoperable F-35s.
Japan may be planning to massively re-arm its air attack potential by purchasing billions of dollars worth of F-35s from the United States, a move which could indicate a broader shift within the country toward a stronger overall force posture.