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Senators inquire about selling F-22s to Japan

If the laws prohibiting foreign military sales of the F-22 were lifted, the service could begin the standard process of creating a version of the fighter that would not jeopardize U.S. military secrets, an Air Force acquisition official told a Senate panel Tuesday.

“We would go into the process dealing with the State Department policy crowd and the using normal foreign military sales processes,” said Lt. Gen. Mark Shackelford, military deputy in the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition.

Shackelford was addressing members of the Senate Armed Services air and land forces subcommittee, who quizzed Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps planners on the state of tactical aviation across the services.

Responding to questions from Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., Shackelford said that a foreign nation interested in acquiring the fighter would have to foot the bill to convert the fighter, in addition to overcoming legal hurdles.

Last week, Sen. Daniel Inouye, D-Hawaii, asked Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz and Secretary Michael Donley to research what it would take to create a foreign version of the F-22.

Japan and Australia have expressed interest in acquiring a version of the stealth fighter. Inouye said he had been asked by Japanese officials to inquire about a foreign variant.

Currently, sales to foreign countries are prohibited by law.

Japan has said it would pay the estimated $1 billion it would cost to create a version the country could use.

The $140 million F-22 is one of six potential contenders to replace Japan’s aging fleet of F-4s.

In May, Defense Secretary Robert Gates recommended the Japanese look to the F-35 — instead of the F-22 — to replace its F-4s.