By Kiyoshi Takenaka
TOKYO, March 27 (Reuters) – Japan’s highest-ranking
uniformed officer said on Wednesday that Lockheed Martin’s
F-35 fighters were the best choice for the nation’s
future operational needs as Tokyo wrestles with tensions with
China and increasingly belligerent North Korea.
The vote of confidence in the state-of-the-art U.S. warplane
comes amid reports that some nations that have placed orders for
the F-35s are reconsidering their plans.
Shigeru Iwasaki, chief of the Japanese Self-Defence Forces’
Joint Staff, also said advancement of North Korea’s arms
technology in a series of nuclear and missile tests posed a
serious threat to Japan, but its missile defence system should
provide the country with sufficient protection.
“When I was the head of the air force, I spearheaded the
decision (to procure F-35s). Or, rather, we drew up a plan,
which was then approved by defence minister,” said Iwasaki, a
veteran fighter pilot who used to fly F-15s, Japan’s current
mainstay combat aeroplane.
“There were various candidates. But I still believe the F-35
is the best fighter, when we think about Japan’s future national
security,” he said in an interview with Reuters.
Dutch orders for F-35 warplanes are likely to be cut back,
sources close to the discussions told Reuters last week, citing
cost overruns and delays in the programme, uncertainty over the
Netherlands’ defence strategy and budget cuts across Europe.
U.S. officials fear cuts in orders by the Dutch or other
buyers could trigger a “death spiral” in the Pentagon’s biggest
arms programme by driving up the price of remaining orders,
leading to more cancellations.
Japan, one of the closest U.S. allies in Asia, has remained
steadfast in its plans to buy 42 F-35s, with the first four
planes scheduled for delivery by March 2017.
Iwasaki described North Korea’s nuclear and missile tests as
“unforgivable”.
“I think, after a series of tests, their technology has
reached a certain level, helping them acquire capability to
launch missiles with a very long range … I believe it’s
becoming a very serious situation when it comes to our national
security,” he said.
North Korea conducted its third nuclear test in February
although it is not believed to have acquired weapons capability.
But it has threatened U.S. naval bases in Japan, which are
within the range of its medium-range missiles.
Iwasaki said, however, Japan was sufficiently protected by
its missile defence system, equipped with Standard Missile-3
(SM-3) interceptors and Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3)
interceptors.
SM-3 interceptors are capable of shooting down a ballistic
missile outside the earth’s atmosphere, while PAC-3 interceptors
provide back-up protection as the missile returns to earth.
CHINA HOTLINE
On Japan’s tense ties with China, Iwasaki urged Beijing to
agree to reopen talks with Tokyo on the establishment of a
hotline and other maritime communication channels to avoid any
unintended military clash between Asia’s two biggest economies.
Japan has been locked in a territorial dispute with China
over a group of East China Sea islets, known as the Senkaku in
Japan and the Diaoyu in China.
The island row has escalated in recent months to the point
where both sides have scrambled fighter jets while patrol ships
shadow each other in nearby seas, raising worries that an
unintended collision or other incident could lead to a broader
clash.
Talks between Japan and China aimed at establishing the
so-called maritime communication mechanism have been halted
since last fall, despite Japan’s call for resumption, Iwasaki
said.
“We need to set up a system to eliminate any
misunderstanding at both the working level and at higher levels
… We have not heard from China but I believe the talks need to
be restarted.”
Japan said last month that a Chinese frigate had locked its
targeting radar on a Japanese destroyer on Jan. 30 – a step that
usually precedes the firing of weapons.
Iwasaki said the crew of the destroyer handled the situation
well by not taking any retaliatory measures and that type of
level-headedness should prevail in the future.
Asked about media reports that the United States and Japan
have begun talks on military plans to cope with armed conflict
over the East China Sea islets, Iwasaki said that a meeting with
Samuel Locklear, commander of U.S. forces in the Asia-Pacific,
last week was a scheduled event.
“I cannot comment on details because it involves the other
side, but it was a regular meeting,” he said.
(Editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan)
