February 5, 2013

The Abe Cabinet has announced that it will allow Japanese manufacturers to join in the development and production of U.S. F-35 fighter jets, intending to totally take the teeth out of the three principles banning arms exports.

Consecutive governments have undoubtedly undermined the arms embargo policy. The Noda Cabinet, for example, in December 2011 revised the policy to enable exports of military equipment for the purpose of “contribution to peace and global cooperation” and decided to enter international joint development and production of arms. It, however, ostensibly showed the stance to maintain the embargo policy’s basic aim to “prevent escalation of international conflicts.”

If the Abe Cabinet approves of providing Japan-made parts for the U.S. F-35 aircraft, it will lead to the abandonment of the basic aim of the ban.

In fact, as Defense Minister Onodera Itsunori in a press conference on January 29 admitted, there is a possibility that countries involved in armed conflicts such as Israel will purchase the F-35s made with Japanese parts.

The state-of-the-art F-35 stealth fighter jets are under development in the U.S. in collaboration with eight countries. The Japan’s Air Self-Defense Force plans to incorporate the jets into its fleet. The Japanese government is discussing with Washington about Japanese companies’ participation in the manufacture of parts for the jets, including the main wing sections.

Japanese Communist Party Secretariat Head Ichida Tadayoshi on February 4 criticized the government move, saying that to chip away at the arms embargo principles is unacceptable.