Mainichi wrote that it learned from a GOJ source on Thursday that the Ministry of Defense has decided to make a budget request of more than 100 billion yen ($900 million) for fiscal 2022 to procure a total of 10 F-35As and F-35Bs. This is almost double its 2021 budget request for the procurement of six F-35s. The paper speculated that the increased budget request is aimed at accelerating preparations to respond to China’s maritime advancement.