Timing of US jet deployment insensitive.

• qpicanto

  17 Feb 07, 21:06

  Shanghai Daily News
  
  2 new US F-22 fighters arrive in Okinawa
  
  2007-2-17
  
  TWO F-22 Raptors, America's most advanced fighter jets, were deployed Saturday in Japan for the first time, the US Air Force said, according to The Associated Press.
  
  Ten more F-22s were to arrive at Kadena Air Base on the southern island of Okinawa tomorrow, the Air Force said in a statement.
  
  It said the deployment of the planes and more than 250 personnel from the 27th Fighter Squadron, Langley Air Force Base, Virginia, was a scheduled rotational assignment.
  
  While at Kadena, the jets are expected to hold combined exercises with Japan's air force, US F-15s, and the US Navy.
  
  The plane's unique combination of stealth and maneuverability make it the most dominant fighter jet in the world, the Air Force statement said.
  
  The F-22 program has been sharply scaled back from a plan to build 750. Only 183 are now slated to be built, with each plane costing around US$350 million, including development costs.
  
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• Hogzilla

  17 Feb 07, 21:33

  China is fuming, but they must keep their cool because their teeth is not hard enough to bite USA. Japan is using these to tell China that "I'm still the boss in East Asia, when you are trying something funny, ask me first"
  
  The only thing that Japanese can do in short term is to cause an economy crisis in China. This is not going to be easy, we must keep in mind that China have the largest oversea reserve. After the economy burst, it's like giving China a chance to reconstruct their economy and China will come back fast and hard. Will Japan be ready for that? I doubt so.
• qpicanto

  17 Feb 07, 23:06