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.
“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.
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.