Japan's Ministry of Defense has announced plans to double the number of air-to-air missiles mounted on the Mitsubishi F-15J twin-engine, air superiority fighters operated by the Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF).
Funds for the upgrade have been requested in the ministry's $51 billion budget for fiscal year 2017, the largest in Japan's postwar history. This defense budget is 2.3 percent higher than the current budget and represents the fifth straight year the military budget has risen.
Funds will also be allotted to acquire the Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II stealth fighter jet. Japan has ordered 48 of the fifth generation stealth fighter.
Some 200 F-15J fighters are on the inventory of the JASDF and the ministry wants each fighter to carry 16 air-to-air missiles instead of only eight. Extensive and expensive modifications that will see the addition of more weapons hardpoints and aircraft strengthening will have to be made to the fighters to bring this about.
The F-15J can be armed with a combination of air-to-air missiles including the Mitsubishi AAM-3 short-range air-to-air missile; Mitsubishi AAM-4 medium-range active radar homing air-to-air missile; Mitsubishi AAM-5 a short-range air-to-air missile; AIM-9 Sidewinder and AIM-7 Sparrow.
The AAM-5 is replacing the AAM-3 while the AAM-4 is replacing the AIM-7 Sparrow made in the U.S.
The AAM-5 can fly its 95 kg warhead out to 35 km. The AAM-4, a beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile developed in Japan, has a range in excess of 100 km.
The huge weapons upgrade comes at a time of increasing Chinese aerial and naval incursions in the East China Sea, especially around the Senkaku Islands owned by Japan but which are claimed by China.
In response to Chinese provocations, Japan is also redeploying units of the Japan Self-Defense Force to positions closer to the Senkakus. Japan is also strengthening Japan Coast Guard installations in the southern islands of Miyakojima and Amami Oshima to counter China's increasingly brazen aggression in the East China Sea.
Japan last June warned China further Chinese military naval incursions in the waters off its Senkaku islands will compel Japan to take "necessary actions," including mobilizing the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF).
The warning was prompted by a warship of the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) entering waters just outside Japanese territorial waters around the Senkakus. Analysts said Japan has drawn a red line with the warning that violations of Japanese sovereignty by the PLAN will be met by force.