
Moves Closer to Buying a New Generation of Jet Fighters By CHESTER DAWSON 27 Sep 2011
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000142 ... 11492.html
"TOKYO—Japan moved a step closer to buying a new generation of jet fighters Monday after it accepted bids by three of the world's biggest defense contractors for what is expected to be a deal worth several billion dollars.
In line with a Japanese government deadline, the country's Defense Ministry received bids from Boeing Co. for the company's F-18 Super Hornet, Lockheed Martin Corp. for its F-35 Lightning II JSF and Eurofighter GmbH for its Typhoon fighter, a ministry spokesman said.
The bids were formally submitted to Japan by the U.S. government in the case of the F-18 and F-35,...
...Defense Minister Yasuo Ichikawa has said he expects a final decision by December as part of the government's budgetary discussions for fiscal 2012...."