THE CHINA SYNDROME: In a First Since World War II, Japan May Develop a Fleet of Jet Bombers.

Japan is reportedly considering breaking a postwar taboo to deal with threats from North Korea and China.

Under a new proposal, Japanese C-2 planes would use the American Rapid Dragon system to quickly convert them from long-range transport jets into bombers. The postwar government banned bombers as weapons of aggressive warfare, but military pressure from its neighbors is pushing Tokyo to reconsider.

According to Jiji Press, the Japanese government is “considering using a type of missile whose engine ignites in the air after the missile is dropped during flight.” This is a reference to the new American Rapid Dragon system, which the Air Force Research Lab established in December 2019 to leverage the hundreds of American transport jets (including C-130J Super Hercules and C-17 Globemaster III aircraft) in the Air Force’s inventory, turning them into temporary bombers.

Previously: Japan’s Navy Is Getting Aircraft Carriers and Stealth Fighters—and China Isn’t Happy.