House Appropriators included a provision in its 2008 defense spending bill (see above) that would prohibit foreign sales of the Air Force’s new F-22A Raptor, reports The Asahi Shimbun. Japan had expressed interest in buying the new stealth fighter. Last year, lawmakers removed a green light for foreign sales that had been included in the 2007 defense spending bill.
The Air Force displayed all the firepower it has amassed on Okinawa in an unusually diverse show of force this week. IIn a May 6 “Elephant Walk,” Kadena Air Base showcased 24 F-35A Lightning II stealth fighters, eight F-15E Strike Eagles; two U.S. Army Patriot anti-missile batteries near the runway; and…