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The U.S. is willing to talk about selling the ultramodern F22 stealth fighter jets, which are restricted for overseas sale, to Japan, it emerged Wednesday. Each of the jets deployed by the U.S. starting late 2005 costs up to US$300 million. The fighter jets, which are undetectable by radar, have an operational radius of more than 2,000 km. The Chinese government expressed dissatisfaction on Thursday since their sale to Japan would change the strategic balance in Northeast Asia drastically.
In a briefing Wednesday on Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's U.S. visit, the senior Asia director at the U.S. National Security Council, Dennis Wilder, said Washington is "very positively disposed" to talk to the Japanese about the aircraft. Asked about rumors that Japan eyes 100 F-22s, Wilder said the Japanese obviously feel some threat from North Korea¡¯s development of missile and nuclear capabilities, while China is modernizing its air force at a rapid pace. He said the question was which aircraft model would suit Japan's needs best.
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The F-22 fighter jet, which Japan is hoping to import from the U.S.
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In 1998, the U.S. Congress banned the overseas sale of F-22s for fear of the technology finding its way to China. In a press briefing Thursday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao said Beijnig ¡°is watching¡± reports on the sale of the fighter jets. ¡°We hope that nations which have an interest in Northeast Asia will not damage to the stability of the region," he said.
China hawks in the White House believe the sale of F-22 fighter jets to Japan will make it possible to entrust Tokyo with some responsibility for the security of Taiwan and want to upgrade strategy against China to that extent. But doves oppose the sale for fear of unnecessary friction. Supporters also claim that overseas sale of the jets will create jobs, and the U.S. Air Force needs to sell more to recoup its capital investment.
The strength of the F-22 fighter jet lies in its ability to avoid radar detection almost 100 percent, its excellent maneuverability, and its early warning and reconnaissance capabilities. On radar, an F-22 fighter jet appears as only a quarter to one-sixth the size of an F-117 Stealth fighter bomber -- almost invisible to the naked eye. In a mock aerial dogfight over Alaska last year, major U.S. fighter jets like the F-15s, F-16s and F-18s were overwhelmed by F-22s because they had no idea the the latter were approaching them. The F-22s won a complete victory, achieving a 144:0 kill-to-loss ratio. F-22s can engage in battles from a vantage point, as they can cruise at supersonic speed and detect enemy's fighter jets from more than 300 km away, just like an AWACS.
If Japan has 100 of the jets, the imbalance in the air forces of Japan, China and South Korea would get worse. Japan would probably enjoy overwhelming superiority, experts say. According to them, the F-22s would win any air war even if their array of weaponry is smaller than that of the F-15Ks, South Korea's newest fighter model.
(englishnews@chosun.com )
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