Japan, U.S. Reach Accord on 5th-Generation Stealth Fighter Jets

Foreign Minister Seiji Maehara said Tuesday that Japan and the United States have reached a confidentiality agreement on the F-35 fighter jet, which is highly likely to become the Japanese Air Self-Defense Force's main next- generation fighter replacing its outdated F-4 fleet.

According to Maehara, he and U.S. Ambassador to Japan John Roos exchanged documents on the security of confidential information on the F-35 fifth-generation multirole fighter system.

The F-35 family of single-engine, single-seat "stealth" fighters descends from the X-35 program -- itself a product of the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) program which has been principally funded by the U.S., with the United Kingdom and other partner governments providing additional funding.

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