Interesting reads: Rivals vie for F-16 upgrades; Japan's airpower issues

A couple of articles worth a read, if Asian military aviation is your thing:

Lockheed Martin hopes to cash in by upgrading F-16s by Bob Cox over at The Star Telegram

China crisis adds urgency to Japanese air force modernisation by Greg Waldron at Flightglobal.

A common denominator of both stories is the troubled development of the Lockheed-Martin F-35, along with (to a smaller extent) the rise of China's military power. Most critics are worried about how the F-35's issues will affect the dominance of the United States, but have focused less on its effect on American's allies, especially in the Asia-Pacific region.