Japan beefs up defense with 767 tanker order

Associated Press

TOKYO — The Japanese government said Friday it will buy its first midair refueling plane from Boeing, a controversial addition that would boost its military capability.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Yasuo Fukuda said the Boeing 767 will be added to the Air Self-Defense Force squadron as part of Japan’s current five-year defense program through 2005.

The purchase of three more 767 tankers, at about $216 million each, is also planned.

For years, Japan’s ruling Liberal Democrats have pushed for the purchase of the Boeing planes. Japan previously bought 767s for use as airborne surveillance jets.

But opponents have resisted, saying they would expand the range of Japan’s attack capability by increasing the distances its other warplanes can fly. That would be perceived as a threat in neighboring countries, opponents argued.

Japan’s military affairs are a sensitive issue in other Asian countries, which have painful memories of Japanese aggression before and during World War II.

Defense Agency Chief Gen Nakatani said the purchase is part of Japan’s overall defense policy to contribute to international peace, noting that the aircraft can be also used in support of peacekeeping and disaster relief missions.

Details of the purchase will be finalized by year’s end and incorporated into the Defense Agency budget, said Tsutomu Himeno, spokesman for Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi.

The U.S. Congress is debating whether to adopt 767s as a replacement for the Air Force’s aging fleet of KC-135 airborne tankers. The Senate has approved a plan to lease 100 of the jets over a decade, at a cost of $20 billion, but the House approved only $150 million to buy one 767, plus $190 million more to test it as an intelligence-gathering aircraft.

Japan flies four 767s modified for use as airborne warning and control system planes.

Italy also has chosen the 767 for use as its airborne refueling plane, but a formal contract to buy the jets is not expected to be signed until next spring.