I Wonder if Some of Those Tranch 3 Options Will Go to Japan

Because Eurofighter is pushing very hard to win Japan's F-X contest.

The leading contenders are the Typhoon, the Super Bug, and an F-15E variant.

The Japanese already operate the F-15, and have assembled C and D models, and Australia uses the F/A-18E/F, which gives both aircraft an advantage.

The Typhoon's advantages will come down to supercruise, an area where the Japanese have expressed interest, and frontal radar cross section, where the F-15 variants lose, but the Typhoon and the Super-Hornet have an advantage.

As an interceptor, the Typhoon is clearly superior, at least if fitted with an Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar.

Given its relatively feeble air-to-air capabilities, I can't see the JSF being used in air defense.