Japan, UK, Italy to Develop Next-Generation Fighter Jet with New Development Centres
Tokyo (ANTARA) - Japan, the United Kingdom and Italy are cooperating on a next-generation fighter jet project, with development centres to be built in Aichi, Warton and Turin, according to several sources familiar with the plan speaking on Saturday.
Japan, the United Kingdom and Italy had previously agreed to launch the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP) military partnership in 2022 to develop a multirole fighter aircraft.
The fighter jet is targeted to enter service in 2035, amid increasingly tense global security dynamics.
In Japan, the development centre will be established at Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd.’s South Komaki plant in Aichi Prefecture, located in central Japan, by the end of 2026.
The sources also said that engineers from the United Kingdom have already begun working on the aircraft’s design at the manufacturing facility.
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries is reportedly seeking to make this next-generation fighter jet development project one of its core businesses.
The decision was taken after the company halted the Mitsubishi Regional Jet project, which had been expected to become Japan’s first domestically produced passenger aircraft.
Last Tuesday (21/7), GCAP announced that Canada would become the first observer nation in the cooperative programme.
Meanwhile, several other countries, including Germany and Australia, have also expressed interest in joining.
The fighter jet will be equipped with a range of advanced specifications, including stealth technology, high-powered radar for gathering various data, and data analysis capabilities using artificial intelligence (AI).
The design and development process will be handled by Edgewing, a joint venture company established by Japan Aircraft Industrial Enhancement Co. Ltd. of Japan, BAE Systems of the United Kingdom and Leonardo of Italy.
Japan plans to use the new-generation fighter jet to replace the F-2 fighter fleet of the Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF), which is scheduled to begin phased retirement in 2035.