Left Flank

Korean national pride doesn't seem to be the only reason both Japan and ROK might build fighter jets independently of the US.

Japanese military officials have been discussing a possible F-22A purchase with the United States for more than two years, and several of the aircraft have made visits to Japanese air bases, but Congressional and other opposition to selling the U.S. Air Force's top-of-the-line stealthy fighter appears to still be enough to block the sale. Despite the fact that Japan is perhaps the number one security partner of the United States in the region, there is still a mindset within the U.S. Government that is hesitant to export the new-age technologies that are the basis for the Raptor's performance and combat effectiveness.

This past August the House Appropriations Committee passed legislation banning the export of the F-22A to any foreign government. DoD officials in Washington said this would derail plans by Israel and Japan to obtain the advanced fighter sometime during the next three years, Middle East Newsline reported.

The F-22A would be a suitable procurement for both American allies, and even without that option, research assistance from American firms would also be beneficial, especially to Seoul. The optimal solution would be to let each ally contribute to the F-35 program. But, Seoul is not the only putative ally bent on feeding its own industrial offspring. «In Japan the main reason for upgrading airplanes is not to provide the armed forces with a higher capability. Instead it is to give money to Japanese aerospace industry and maintain the industrial base.»

But then, there's the DPRK problem. Just how trustworthy is Seoul (and, to a lesser extent, Tokyo), none too secure from North Korean spies and eager to build mutual defense ties with its authoritarian neighbor, with any defense knowledge and technology. The F-22A sits atop the fault line between economic globalization and national defense, between corporations and air forces. Looking at this procurement tangle, Washington could indeed be justified in its paranoia.

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