PacNet #47 - The F-22 and the Japan-U.S. alliance

North Korea’s return to saber-rattling has returned military affairs to the top of the Japan-U.S. agenda. As many Japanese continue to have – unfounded – doubts about the commitment of the Obama administration to the bilateral alliance, they are pushing for Washington to allow Japan to purchase America’s most advanced fighter aircraft, the F-22 Raptor. This trend must be quickly deflated before it becomes a misguided litmus test for bilateral relations.