Japan, U.K.and Italy to jointly develop next-gen fighter jet

Japan has finalized an agreement with the United Kingdom and Italy to jointly develop a next-generation fighter aircraft by 2035, a move that will see Tokyo cooperate for the first time with countries other than the United States to meet a major defense requirement. According to the Japan Times report, the move involves merging the Japanese Defense Ministry’s F-X fighter plans with those for Britain’s Tempest. Those programs were to replace the Air Self-Defense Force’s F-2 jet and the Royal Air Force’s Eurofighter Typhoon, respectively, with both aircraft being developed to a similar schedule and needing to meet almost identical requirements.

“We share ambition for this aircraft to be the centerpiece of a wider combat air system that will function across multiple domains,” the three countries said in a joint statement, adding they expect the project to “deepen our defense cooperation, science and technology collaboration, integrated supply chains, and further strengthen our defense industrial base.” Talks between the three governments are set to continue next year to hammer out details over work share and the different variants set to be deployed by each. Development costs will be distributed among the partner countries.Against the backdrop of Russia's invasion of Ukraine and intensifying Chinese military activity around Japan and Taiwan, the agreement may help Japan counter the growing military might of its bigger neighbour. The three countries, however, have yet to work out some details of how the project will proceed, including work shares and where the development will take place.