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Japan military picks Eurocopter for first time: official
Tokyo (AFP) Jan 16, 2009 Japan's military will for the first time buy helicopters from Eurocopter, ordering training choppers from the unit of European aerospace giant EADS, officials said Friday. Japan's defence ministry said on its website it selected the EC135 Eurocopter as part of "bidding for training helicopters for the Maritime Self-Defence Forces", officially pacifist Tokyo's name for its navy. Japan buys most of its military equipment from the United States, with which it has a security alliance. Eurocopter, part of the the European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company (EADS) which includes Airbus, was bidding for the contract against British-Italian firm AgustaWestland. French Transport Minister Dominique Bussereau, visiting Tokyo for talks on global warming, welcomed the deal. "I have thanked Japan," Bussereau told reporters. "This is a very major contract as it marks the first time that Eurocopter has signed a contract with the Japanese navy." Eurocopter has sold choppers in Japan since 1964 but until now has only sold for civilian use. The value of the contract has yet to be decided. Industrial sources said Japan would initially buy two choppers but that the order could go up to 15. The order comes as a European consortium including EADS tries to sell to Japan its Eurofighter jets. Japan has been seeking the next-generation US F-22A Raptor, which can evade radar detection at supersonic speeds. But the US Congress forbids any exports of the advanced stealth jets. Share This Article With Planet Earth
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Thompson Files: Outsourcing to allies
Arlington, Va. (UPI) Jan 15, 2009 Last summer the U.S. Defense Science Board issued a study titled "Creating an Effective National Security Industrial Base for the 21st Century." It warned that a crisis is coming because America's military is not able to tap the full range of suppliers possessing cutting-edge technology, and argued that the government should dismantle barriers impeding access to non-traditional suppliers both at home and abroad. |
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