Japan will collaborate with the United Kingdom and Italy to develop a next-generation fighter jet by 2035, the three countries announced on Friday (Dec 9), as the Japanese archipelago seeks to strengthen its defense strategy in a tense geopolitical context. Tokyo, London and Rome will launch “Ambitious efforts to develop a new generation combat aircraft” as part of a program called GCAP (Global Combat Air Programme), these governments said.
This collaboration, which will benefit from research already initiated by the three partners into advanced air combat technologies such as unmanned aerial vehicles, marks Japan’s first association with European partners to design a combat aircraft. Details on the cost of the project have yet to be finalized, according to a Japanese defense ministry official, who said production should begin around 2030 or 2031 so that the prototype could be deployed by 2035. “When you look at other countries, the US has the F35 and Europe has the Eurofighter. We will, of course, aim to create combat aircraft that exceed the capabilities of these models.added this official.
Japan’s Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Britain’s BAE Systems and Italy’s Leonardo are to be at the center of the project, according to information from a Japanese economic daily. Nice. “We are determined to defend a free, open and rules-based international order, which is more important than ever when these principles are challenged and when threats and attacks are on the rise.”said the statement of the three countries. “Given the importance of protecting our democracy, economy and security and protecting regional stability, we need strong defense and security partnerships underpinned and strengthened by a credible deterrent.”they added.
Japan, whose defense strategy depends heavily on its American ally, is looking to dramatically increase its capabilities in this area to counter the growing threats it feels on its borders, from North Korea to China to Russia after its invasion of Ukraine. Tokyo announced this week that it plans to increase its military spending by 56% between 2023 and 2027, compared with the previous five years, and raise the defense budget to 2% of national GDP by 2027, up from a maximum of 1% so far. : . Such a goal is controversial in a country with a pacifist constitution since 1947 that severely limits the means and missions of its Self-Defense Forces (the name of its army).
Japan, the United Kingdom and Italy say they designed the GCAP program as a basis for cooperation with other countries, asserting this in their press release. “Future interoperability with the United States, NATO and our partners across Europe, the Indo-Pacific and around the world.”. “The United States supports Japan’s security and defense cooperation with like-minded allies and partners (…) to develop its next fighter jet.”said in the joint statement of the US Department of Defense and the Ministry of Defense of Japan.
In particular, the two countries discuss together “autonomous systems” which can complement the Japanese fighter jet project and have agreed “Start concrete cooperation during the next year”.allowing “Joint responses to future threats”. in the Asia-Pacific region, adds this press release.
The future combat aircraft is considered the successor of the Japanese Mitsubishi F-2, which was designed with the American Lockheed Martin and was put into service in 2000. Its development, in particular, should be integrated with the progress of the Tempest combat aircraft project carried out by the United Kingdom. , and whose prototype is declared “In the next five years”.
Source: Le Figaro
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