WASHINGTON – U.S. defense contractor Lockheed Martin Corp plans to offerJapan a stealth fighter design based on its export-banned F-22 Raptor andadvanced F-35 Lightning II aircraft, two sources said.
Lockheed has discussed the idea with Japanese defense ministry officialsand will make a formal proposal in response to a Japanese request forinformation (RFI) after it receives permission from the U.S. government tooffer the sensitive military technology, said the sources, who have directknowledge of the proposal.
The decision on whether to release parts of the highly classified aircraftdesigns and software to help Japan stay ahead of Chinese advances will testPresident Donald Trump’s promise to overhaul his country’s arms exportpolicy.
The proposed aircraft “would combine the F-22 and F-35 and could besuperior to both of them,” said one of the sources.