Tokyo (ANTARA) \u2013 Germany and Japan have agreed to hold talks between\ntheir defence ministers in the near future to discuss possible German\ninvolvement in the next-generation fighter jet programme led by Japan\nalongside the UK and Italy, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on\nWednesday.<\/p>\n
Merz said the fighter jet development project, which is targeted for\ncompletion by 2035, had made rapid progress. Germany first wants to\nassess the extent to which it could participate in the programme.<\/p>\n
Germany had previously sought to develop a new-generation fighter jet\nwith France and several other countries. The plan was abandoned in June\nfollowing disagreements over which participating company would lead the\nproject.<\/p>\n
Alongside joining the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP), cooperation\nwith Sweden on the Gripen fighter jet is viewed as a potential\nalternative for Germany.<\/p>\n
In a joint statement after a summit on Wednesday, Merz said Germany\ncould cooperate with Japan on fighter jet development, without\nspecifically naming GCAP. Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi did not\nmention the issue.<\/p>\n
On Thursday in Tokyo, Japan\u2019s Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara\nsaid at a press conference that GCAP had been raised at the meeting.\nHowever, he declined to disclose details of the discussions, saying they\nwere part of a diplomatic exchange.<\/p>\n
\u201cTaking various factors into account, including the impact on the\ndevelopment schedule and the defence industry, we will continue to work\nclosely with the UK and Italy to ensure GCAP becomes a better\nprogramme,\u201d said Kihara, the Japanese government\u2019s chief\nspokesperson.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/germany-and-japan-to-discuss-cooperation-on-next-generation-fighter-jet-programme-1793267740", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }