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Japan's recent expression of intent to purchase American-made F-22 fighter jets is encouraging a race to see who in Northeast Asia is going to have the latest fighter planes. The competition also comes in response to deployment of the fifth generation jets to U.S. forces in the region.

Japan is the first country to say it will buy the F-22 fighter. Japan is considering replacing its aging F-4 and F-15 fighters, which it purchased in the 1970s and 1980s. Japan is expected to decide the exact model within five months. According to Korean Air Force data, Japan has 150 F-15s, 40 F-2s and 70 F-4s. Japan had hoped to buy 100 F-22s. In addition to F-22s, Japan is interested in buying F-35, revamped F-15, and Euro Fighter.

In its 2005 Defense White Paper, Japan said its F-15 fighters could match China's Su-27 and Su-30MKK as well as Russia's Su-27, MiG-29 and MiG-31. In China, the number of these high tech fighters rose to 158 units in 2003 from 37 in 1996, according to Japanese data. In Russia, the number rose to 222 units in 2003 from 125 in 1996.

In January, China unveiled its homegrown fighter jet "J-10." The J-10 is more advanced than F-16(A/B) in terms of mobility and engine torque. In terms of attack capability, the J-10 is estimated to match F-16(C/D). Sixty J-10s are believed to be in Chinese air force units currently. China is manufacturing Russia's Su-27 in the name of J-11. In addition, China is developing J-13 and J-14 stealth fighters with the aim of deploying the radar-evading fighters by 2015 to combat with F-22s, the U.S. military newspaper Defense News reported.

Russia has 320 MiG-31 and Su-27 fighters in the Russian Far East. In addition, Russia's 110 TU-22M bombers are threatening Northeastern Asian nations. To cope with F-22s, Russia said it completed developing MiG-1.42, but argued a delay in deployment because of financia troubles.

South Korea is maintaining a wait-and-see policy, boasting that its F-15Ks, priced 100 billion won each, as the strongest fighter in East Asia. The F-15K is equipped with an air-to-surface missile Slam-ER, which has a range of 300 kilometers. Japan's F-15J and the U.S.'s F-15C both lack that missile. However, the F-15K is a fourth-generation fighter jet. After buying 20 next-generation fighter jets, Defense Minister Kim Jang-soo said South Korea might consider purchasing fifth-generation fighter jets.

"The F-22s were recently stationed at a Okinawa base of the U.S. military, providing one of the factors that has sparked an arms race over advanced fighter jets," an official close to the military said. "Advanced fighter jets are a decisive factor in a country's military power. So, when a country buys a fighter jet, it creates a domino effect, triggering an arms race in Northeastern Asia."

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