Japan, UK & Italy to expedite next-generation fighter jet to replace F-2s, Typhoons

TOKYO: The defence ministers of Japan, the UK and Italy agreed to accelerate the joint development of a next-generation fighter jet, and announced that a trilateral government organisation would be established by the end of this year to work with the parties producing the aircraft, Japanese officials said Sunday.

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The three countries agreed in 2022 to jointly produce a new combat aircraft that will be ready for deployment in 2035, under the Global Combat Air Programme, or GCAP, to strengthen cooperation in the face of growing threats from China, Russia and North Korea.

The next-generation stealth fighter jet would replace Japan's retiring F-2s that it jointly developed with the US, and Eurofighter Typhoons, which were produced in partnership with the UK, Italy, Spain and Germany.

On Sunday, Japanese Defence Minister Gen Nakatani, after meeting with his UK and Italian counterparts, John Healey and Guido Crosetto, said a joint body called the GCAP International Government Organization, or GIGO, will be set up by the end of this year to oversee the aircraft's development.