WASHINGTON—The U.S. State Department said on Thursday it had approved the possible sale of 105 Lockheed Martin F-35 fighter jets to Japan at an estimated cost of $23 billion.
The Japanese request included 63 F-35A and 42 F-35B aircraft, 110 Pratt and Whitney F135 engines, and related equipment, it said, and implementation of the proposed sale, including technical support and training, would take 25 years.