Japan's F-35A purchase will be 4 aircraft plus 38 options

The United States' Defense Security and Cooperation Agency has issued a notification of a possible Foreign Military Sale to Japan of 4 F-35A Lightning II Joint Strike Fighters with a further 38 options. [PDF] The Japanese Defense Ministry announced in December 2011 that it had selected the F-35 as the winner of it's F-X competition, with the first aircraft expected to be delivered in 2016.