Well then I would be interested in hearing your arguments for your position, if you don’t mind sharing them 🙂
Operational:
Japan’s requirements are largely defensive in nature. A2A-centric with limited A2G requirements. JASDF’s most modern platform, the F-2, is A2G-centric.
JASDF’s A2G requirements, such as they are, do not call for a stealthy, penetrating bomb truck but rather a stand-off missile truck. The F-35 is limited in internal carriage of anti-ship weapons and other cruise missiles, and external carriage both strips the F-35 of its greatest advantage over the other platforms, and – per data showing stuff-all benefit for F-35 from EFTs – likely compromises its range to an unusual degree. Super Hornet is of course a better missile truck than Typhoon, particularly Typhoon in its current state, but A2A performance – the primary criterion – is a different story.
Industrial:
Japan will be looking to use this program to further develop its industrial capabilities as a bridge between F-2 and ATD-X. They’re not going to want to be limited in their ability to develop the aircraft. F-35 would impose significant constraints on Japan in this respect whereas Super Hornet and Typhoon would not. Japanese industry has lobbied against F-35 upon this basis.
However where Typhoon edges out Super Hornet is in its development potential. The maturity of the Super Hornet platform arguably works against it in this respect. The Japanese can do all sorts of things to Typhoon, and the program is in such a dire financial state that they can essentially dictate terms to the existing Eurofighter partners whilst using their resources to mitigate costs to Japan. US in contrast has little interest in developing Super Hornet.
Political:
When the DPJ came to power a couple years back they upset a half-century of LDP rule. One of the DPJ’s election platforms was the promise to renegotiate relationship between Japan and the US, to restore Japan’s dignity as an independent nation. To this end, promise was made to evict Americans from Okinawa. The Japanese government failed to achieve this, and Prime Minister Hatoyama was forced to resign as a result.
The ability of the Japanese government to come through on its promise to the citizenry has been hampered by Japanese security realities, i.e. Japanese economic lethargy in face of rising China, and most recently they’ve suffered further humiliation by having to accept significant US aid in response to tsunami. Essentially, the Japanese government is desperate for a way to signal its independence from the US that doesn’t actually compromise its relationship with the US and thereby harm Japanese interests.
Typhoon is that symbol.
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