Germany Excludes Japan's P-1 from Patrol Aircraft Candidates

Berlin, Oct. 1 (Jiji Press)--The German government has said it excluded Japanese-made P-1 patrol aircraft from its list of candidates for a patrol plane to be purchased by around 2025.

Purchasing the P-1 involves substantial temporal and legal risks as Germany lacks an adequate cooperative relationship with Japan, the government said in a written answer to a question from a lawmaker.

In the past, Japan tried unsuccessfully to sell the P-1, used at the Maritime Self-Defense Force, to some other countries including Britain.

Currently, the German government is selecting a stopgap patrol plane to be used from 2025 to around 2035.

The German military will retire its current P-3C aircraft, built by Lockheed Martin Corp. of the United States, in 2025. Its next-generation patrol plane, to be developed jointly by Germany and France, is scheduled to be introduced in around 2035.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]