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"Japan's new five-year Mid-Term Defense Program includes outlays for 17 new Osprey tiltrotor aircraft and three Global Hawk surveillance drones to help it respond to China's growing presence in the East China Sea.

The plan, revealed Dec. 13, starts in fiscal 2014. It is expected to be approved in a Cabinet meeting on Dec. 17 along with the National Defense Program Guidelines....

...Further spending will include [additional to first 42] 28 F-35 Lightning fighter jets for the Air Self-Defense Force..."

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"The UK's involvement in the Joint Strike Fighter's development has enabled its services to prepare the ground for their future STOVL F-35B fleets...

...Thanks to years of flight control law trials and other work performed in the UK in support of the STOVL JSF's development, the F-35B's capability as a carrier-based asset will also represent a jump from previous-generation aircraft, such as the nation's retired BAE Systems Harrier GR9. "It's taking the mystique out of VSTOL [vertical/short take-off and landing] operations," says one pilot of the new type's handling characteristics.

COMFORTABLE LANDINGS
While a vertical landing is likely to be the typical means of recovery in peacetime, a UK-pioneered shipborne rolling vertical landing technique will allow pilots to return to an aircraft carrier with its typical stores "bring-back" limit of around 2,270kg increased by between 908kg and 1,810kg. This will be achieved by approaching the carrier on a 7˚ glide path while flying at around 60kt. The use of a UK-developed "Bedford array" will enable the pilot to maintain a constant aiming point on the deck, despite vessel movements in rough sea conditions.

"Pilots will require less training and operating the aircraft will be much safer than legacy types," says Schofield.

"The aircraft, right from the outset, was developed to have high reliability and a high sortie-generation rate," another UK pilot adds, with a full prognostic support system to be available by around 2020. "Operating the aircraft at sea will be no different to landside, in terms of maintenance hours."

In order to ensure a smooth introduction and through-life employment of the F-35, the UK is making a major investment in simulation, with 50% of its pilot training planned to be performed using synthetic environments. Four full mission simulators will be acquired and installed at RAF Marham, with other equipment including a deployable mission trainer also to be purchased.

The use of advanced synthetic training devices will allow the UK's F-35 pilots to get the most out of every live flying hour, one RAF pilot notes. "When you PIN into the aircraft, if you're not booked into the training system or don't have currency on the aircraft, you cannot get into it and fly it," he adds....

...Once operational, the F-35 will receive upgrades on a two-yearly cycle, alternating between software modifications only, and both software and hardware changes which will be implemented every four years...."

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The aircraft, right from the outset, was developed to have high reliability

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"...Yesterday, Ng visited the Republic of Singapore Air Force's Peace Carvin II F-16 Fighting Falcon training detachment at Luke Air Force Base in Arizona, which was celebrating its 20th anniversary. The detachment also held an integrated live-fire exercise as part of the annual Forging Sabre exercise, and U.S. Marines demonstrated the F-35B Lightning II joint strike fighter aircraft, Ng said....

...Singapore is “seriously looking” at replacing its F-16 fleet with the F-35B, Ng said. But, he continued, “We're in no particular hurry, because our F-16s are still very operational, and they're due for upgrades. But it is a serious consideration.”"

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"...Question: For Minister Ng, could you tell us about Singapore's interest in the F-35B. I know some of you were watching that demonstrations this week in Arizona.

Dr Ng: I've said in Parliament during the last budget that Singapore is seriously looking at the F-35s to replace our F-5s. We're in no particular hurry because our F-16s are still very operational, they are due for upgrades but it is a serious consideration and during my visit here to Luke Air Base, the US marines were kind enough to have a demonstration of the F-35Bs and it's quite an engineering marvel. We recognise that there are aspects to consider and we will make our deliberate decision because as I said we are in no particular hurry but we are seriously considering."

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"...He said he was also cautiously optimistic that South Korea could decide to buy the radar-evading F-35 in its 60-fighter competition, with a decision expected there in June...."

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"TOKYO, Dec. 18 (Xinhua) -- Japan's Ministry of Defense (MOD) on Wednesday said it is mulling to increase the number of Lockheed Martin F-35 multirole stealth fighters it plans to add to its Air Self-Defense Force (ASDF) contingent, with an eye to making the fifth-generation jet its mainstay fighter.

Following approval by the Cabinet on Tuesday to broaden the scope of Japan's defense and security guidelines, the MOD is considering focusing more of its attention on achieving what it has described as "superior air-combat capability," as five year mid-term and longer-term defense and security protocols and the allocation of funds become pivotal focal points for the Cabinet and the MOD henceforth.

The MOD's new consideration is to possibly replace the ASDF's aging mainstay F-15 fighters with the F-35's, officials said, adding that they had already decided to retire the force's F-4 fighters and replace them with 42 F-35's....

...Japan's MOD is particularly eyeing two of the F-35 models for their vertical and short take off and landing ability, and officials here have said that the jet could be used along with ground troops and amphibious vehicles for rapid deployment operations to remote islands off Japan...."

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"...
In 2010, there were renewed protests against proposals to turn Shimoji Airport into a permanent USMC post.

As of early 2013, serious consideration was being given to basing a detachment of JASDF F-15J fighters out of the Airport, in order to provide better air defense coverage over the Senkaku Islands. The airport already has a 'shadow designation' as Shimoji Air Base as part of its Type-3 status."

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