Japan, UK, Italy to Develop Next-Generation Fighter Jet with New Development Centres

Japan, the United Kingdom, and Italy are deepening their cooperation on a next-generation fighter jet project, with plans to establish development centres in Aichi Prefecture, Warton, and Turin, sources familiar with the matter said on Saturday. The three nations previously agreed to launch the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP) military cooperation initiative in 2022 to develop a versatile fighter aircraft. The jet is targeted to enter service by 2035 amid increasingly tense global security dynamics. In Japan, the development centre will be set up at Mitsubishi Heavy Industries’ South Komaki plant in Aichi Prefecture, central Japan, by the end of 2026. The sources indicated that British engineers have already begun working on the aircraft’s design at the manufacturing facility. Mitsubishi Heavy Industries is reportedly seeking to make the next-generation fighter jet project a core business. The decision follows the company’s termination of the Mitsubishi Regional Jet project, which had been expected to become Japan’s first domestically produced passenger aircraft. On Tuesday, GCAP announced that Canada had become the first observer nation in the cooperation programme. Meanwhile, several other countries, including Germany and Australia, have also expressed interest in joining. The fighter jet will be equipped with various cutting-edge specifications, including stealth technology, high-powered radar for data collection, and data analysis capabilities using artificial intelligence. Its design and development will be handled by Edgewing, a joint venture established by Japan’s Japan Aircraft Industrial Enhancement Co. Ltd., Britain’s BAE Systems, and Italy’s Leonardo. Japan plans to use the next-generation fighter jet to replace its fleet of F-2 fighters operated by the Japan Air Self-Defense Force, which are scheduled to begin phased retirement in 2035.