JAPAN MAY NOT GET F-22 FIGHTERS

Following a leak in Japan of sensitive intelligence related to a US advanced radar system, the Japanese may not get the F-22 fighters they had hoped to buy for their Air Self Defense Force.
The F-22, sometimes referred to as the Raptor is America’s most advanced fighter aircraft on the planet with a stealth capability that gives it an edge over its Russian and Chinese competitors. Its true speed potential is classified though it is said to be able to travel in excess of speeds over 1,300 miles per hour in what is sometimes referred to as super-cruise, meaning it can reach supersonic speeds with a full weapons load without deploying afterburners. The fact that it can function at such high speeds while at very high altitudes has also set it apart from other fighters.
Described as one of the most complex fighters ever made, its main distinction is its full stealth mode and the fact it can perform almost like a small AWAC’s – early warning system. For example, it can identify and plot targets for other fighters or bombers. It can also carry Smart bombs as well as missiles and launch its missiles in seconds without betraying its presence. Its designers were so confident of its ability to remain invisible that they only equipped it with one gun which the pilot could use a last resort if he suddenly found he was on a dogfight. The weapon is a 20mm cannon loaded with 480 rounds that would last only 5 seconds on automatic fire.
Japan and Australia have been pressing the US for the past year to sell them Raptors, knowing the version they would likely get would not contain all its secret avionics for fear those could fall into the hands of the enemy. Israel lobbied Washington for some time too but was turned down though it was reported in some circles that the price of $200 million per plane did not sit well with the Israeli Air Force. It had expected it would get the planes on the cheap. The Australian Air Force also balked at the massive price tag before saying it would not buy Raptors because they lacked a multi-role capability. However, the real reason they backed out of a deal was that they had been told secretly by Washington that the Federal Government would not issue export licenses for the planes.
Congress reinforced a ban on the foreign sale of Raptors in December 2006 after the Department of Defense expressed the view that even selling the advanced fighter to allies risked having some of its most sensitive elements exposed to copying by spies. A less expensive version of the fighter, the F-35 Lightning II, is being built by Britain and the US and will soon become available to allies.
Aside from the security concerns related to any potential export of the Raptor, another major reason for not letting allies have it with some of its most sensitive items stripped from it was the fact that it had cost so much to build it could not be sold at a reduced price. Japan, however, made it clear it was willing to pay the retail price of $200 million per plane and recently it looked like it might be able to persuade the Federal Government and Congress to agree a deal. The prospect of a deal was quickly placed on the back burner following the leaking last year by four Japanese naval instructors of classified US intelligence related to its Aegis naval combat system. The intelligence was leaked by the instructors to their students in direct breach of agreements reached between the US navy and its Japanese counterpart. The Aegis is a defense system whereby computers can guide missiles to multiple targets or direct them to intercept incoming missiles. Its highly advanced radar capability is not limited to ship to ship combat. It can also detect threats from the air and from beneath the waves. Developed by Lockheed Martin, the US has allowed it to be deployed in over 100 ships by five allied navies, including Japan, Australia and South Korea.
In December 2007, details surfaced about the leaking of intelligence connected to Aegis even though the leak had occurred eight months earlier when police involved in a routine investigation came across a computer disk with information about the Aegis system on it. It was not until early last December that a naval officer was arrested and charged with possession of the disk. Subsequently the four instructors were also arrested but, for reasons not made public, a decision was made not to charge them.
The episode caused embarrassment within the Japanese intelligence community and in the political corridors of power because it came at a time when the Japanese Air Force was not only keen on purchasing Raptors and the country’s defense leaders were discussing with Washington the need for a missile shield to protect the country should it ever be targeted by North Korea or China. With China keen to acquire intelligence about the Aegis, given that China is trying to expand its naval presence in the South China Sea, Washington is now thinking twice about whether to go ahead with the Raptor sale. It may ask Japan to settle for a deal that involves less advanced fighters. But, since Japan has the money to spend, it may be encouraged to wait for the less expensive version of the Raptor, the F-35 Lightning II.