[Provisional translation]

1. Regarding the new fighter to supplement deficiencies resulting from aging of the current fighters of the Air Self-Defense Force and facilitate their modernization, the Government decided, at the Security Council on December 20, 2011, that it would procure 42 F-35 A aircraft from the fiscal year 2012 and except some initially imported aircraft, industries of Japan would participate in the production of F-35 A aircraft and so on, and this decision was approved by the Cabinet on the same day.  F-35 is a state-of-the-art fighter being jointly developed by nine countries including the United States, and its programmatic procurement is indispensable for the defense of Japan.  From the fiscal year 2013, the Government will, based upon the decision of the Security Council and the approval of the Cabinet, have industries of Japan participate in the production, including sustainment, of F-35 aircraft and its components (hereinafter referred to as "components") and procure F-35 A.  The participation of industries of Japan to the production of F-35 components is essential in maintaining the base for operation and sustainment of fighters of Air Self-Defense Force and contributes to maintaining, cultivating, and sophisticating Japan's defense production and technology infrastructure.  Therefore, it will greatly contribute to the defense of Japan.  In addition, since stabilized global supply of the components will be conducive to such countries as the United States and the sustainment base to be located in Japan can support the United States Forces, it will also contribute to effective operation of the Japan-U.S. Security Arrangements.
   
   
2. Unlike the fighters Japan has acquired so far, a new system called Autonomic Logistics Global Sustainment (ALGS; hereinafter referred to as "the system") in which all F-35 user countries will globally share the components is applied to F-35.  By joining the system, the components can be supplied quickly when necessary, and prompt sustainment operations will become possible.  Therefore, it is necessary for Japan to participate in the system in order to maintain and improve the operational availability of F-35 A at a more appropriate cost.  When Japan participates in the system, it is expected that F-35 components produced or stored by industries of Japan as well as F-35 related services supplied by industries of Japan will be provided to other F-35 user countries. Transfer to non F-35 user countries is, however, strictly restricted under the system controlled by the Government of the United States in an integrated manner.
   
   
3. The Government has dealt with arms exports in a careful manner in accordance with the Three Principles on Arms Exports and their related policy guidelines.  However, considering that the participation of industries of Japan will greatly contribute to the security of Japan as described above, the Government decided to deal with F-35 components produced or stored by industries of Japan as well as F-35 related services supplied by industries of Japan under the system outside the Three Principles and their related policy guidelines on the premise that strict control is in place, that is, among others under the integrated control by the Government of the United States, transfer to non F-35 user countries is strictly restricted and transfer is restricted to those countries that conform to the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations .
   The Government is in a position to maintain the basic philosophy as a peace-loving nation that conforms to the Charter of the United Nations.