In line with a deadline, Japan's Defense Ministry received bids from Boeing's F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, Lockheed Martin's F-35 Lightning II JSF and Eurofighter's Typhoon for the country's next generation F-X program. Defense Minister Yasuo Ichikawa has said he expects a final decision by December with the aircraft to be delivered in 2016.
Japan will likely call for the purchase of about 40 to 60 planes to replace 70 F-4EJ Phantom IIs, and all three manufacturers are believed to be willing to localize at least part of the aircrafts' production in Japan, which Japan has historically insisted on.
Aviationweek has noted that proposals for the F-X program were due on Sept. 26, while the last two of 94 Mitsubishi Heavy Industries F-2 strike fighters are scheduled to be completed on Sept. 27, which means that for the first time in 56 years, there are no fighter aircraft currently being built in Japan.
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