Japan, UK, Italy to Develop Fighter Jet by 2035

Japan, the UK, and Italy have agreed to expedite the joint development of a next-generation fighter jet under the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP), which was initiated in 2022. This collaboration aims to replace Japan’s retiring F-2s and Eurofighter Typhoons with a new combat aircraft ready for deployment by 2035, responding to threats from China, Russia, and North Korea. A trilateral body called the GCAP International Government Organization (GIGO), led by a Japanese official, will be based in the UK and is set to be established by the end of the year to oversee this development. The defense ministers from the three countries met during the G7 defense ministers meeting in Naples, Italy, to discuss this agreement further. Several private sector companies, including Mitsubishi Heavy Industries from Japan, BAE Systems from the UK, and Italy's Leonardo, are participating in the project. This initiative symbolizes growing security cooperation between Japan and European nations amid rising geopolitical tensions in the Indo-Pacific region.