Japan 'chooses Lockheed'

Japan has selected the Lockheed Martin F-35 stealth fighter to bolster its ageing air force and is likely to announce the multibillion-dollar deal by the end of the week, media reports said.

Kyodo News agency and the Yomiuri newspaper say the announcement is expected after a committee meeting on Friday. The Yomiuri says Japan will ultimately seek to buy as many as 40 jets for as much as $8bn (€6bn).

Japan has wrangled for years over whether to buy the F-35, Boeing F-18 or the Eurofighter Typhoon, made by a consortium of European companies. The US planes were seen as the favourites because of close US-Japan military ties.