Procurement processes for the F-35 Lightning II, which comes to the fore frequently due to the technical and infrastructure problems, continue.

The USA continues to sell F-35 Lightning II. Washington has approved the sale of giant F-35 package, which requested by Japan requested. In this context, Tokyo will receive a total of 105 F-35 Lightning IIs. 63 of the platforms to be acquired by the country were announced as F-35A and 42 of them as F-35B. Announcing the 2020-2021 defence budget at a record level of 50.3 billion US Dollars, the cost of 105 aircraft was specified as 23.11 billion US Dollars for Japan.

Japan, which is stated to have an important deep strike capability in the region with the acquisition of F-35 Lightning II, has launched a series of upgrade activities for the B-model of the platform for operation of STOVL F-35Bs on Izumo-class helicopter destroyers. The Japan Maritime Self Defence Forces, which, have not been able to have ship-based fixed-wing air force since the Second World War by law, will also have access to an enhanced naval air attack force with the procured F-35B Lightning IIs to exist in distant islands, where sovereignty rights are controversial.

The defence backstages discuss that these initiatives are the first steps for Japan to regain its aircraft carrier power.