Japan Forms Pact With UK, Italy to Build Next-Generation Fighter Jet

The Japanese national flag is seen at the Bank of Japan headquarters in Tokyo on March 16, 2020. (Kazuhiro Nogi/AFP via Getty Images)

Japan has teamed up with Britain and Italy to jointly develop next-generation fighter aircraft by 2035, as Japan seeks to broaden its defense alliances in the face of emerging security threats.

The three nations announced Friday the Global Combat Air Program (GCAP), a collaborative effort to build next-generation fighter aircraft by combining Britain’s Tempest and Japan’s F-X fighter programs.

According to a joint leaders’ statement, the GCAP will help deepen the countries’ cooperation in defense, technology, and supply chains, while also strengthening their defense industrial base.

“The program will support the sovereign capability of all three countries to design, deliver and upgrade cutting-edge combat air capabilities, well into the future,” the statement reads.

The GCAP is expected to “deliver wider economic and industrial benefits” to the three nations and create opportunities for highly skilled engineers and technicians.

The statement provides few specifics about the fighter aircraft but cites the program’s “future interoperability” with the United States, NATO, and other partners across Europe and the Indo–Pacific.

“We share ambition for this aircraft to be the centerpiece of a wider combat air system that will function across multiple domains,” they added.

In a separate statement, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said that his country needed to stay on “the cutting-edge of advancements in defense technology” to outpace and outmaneuver those who seek to harm the country.

“The next-generation of combat aircraft we design will protect us and our allies around the world by harnessing the strength of our world-beating defense industry—creating jobs while saving lives,” Sunak said.

US Pledges Support

The United States and Japan issued a joint statement on the same day, in which Washington pledged its support for the trilateral cooperation and referred to Britain and Italy as “two close partners of both of our countries.”

“Such efforts between the United States and Japan greatly strengthen the U.S.-Japan alliance and build on our cooperation with likeminded partners, further enabling joint responses to future threats in the Indo-Pacific region and beyond,” the statement reads.

Britain’s BAE Systems, Japan’s Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, and Italy’s Leonardo will lead design of the aircraft, which will have advanced digital capabilities in AI and cyber warfare, according to Japan’s Ministry of Defense.

Other countries could join the project, Britain said, adding that the fighter, which will replace its Typhoon fighters and complement its F-35 Lightning fleet, will be compatible with fighters flown by other NATO partners.

Confirmation of the plan comes days after companies in France, Germany, and Spain secured the next phase of a rival initiative to build a next-generation fighter that could be in operation from 2040.

Reuters contributed to this report.