The F-35 is a game-changing American fighter jet developed to penetrate present day air defences by evading radar detection. In the face of a resurgent China and assertive Russia, Japan is in the process of acquiring the largest fleet of this jet outside of the United States, thrusting it into a position in which it is able to compete with its regional rivals for military supremacy. Despite its technological capabilities, the F-35 has been plagued by a series of technical glitches, resulting in a 2019 crash of a Japanese-assembled F-35. Detractors of the F-35 have attributed this recent crash to fundamental flaws in the plane, ignoring the fact that fighter aircraft programmes tend to undergo a three-decade long development period, marked by significant technical challenges. The F-35 raises significant questions about the next stages in a costly and accelerating arms race involving Japan, China, Russia and the United States.
