TOKYO --- Japan, the U.K. and Italy aim to have a basic design for their jointly developed next-generation fighter by 2024, under plans discussed Thursday by the three nations' defense ministers.
The project, dubbed the Global Combat Air Program, will be led by a joint venture among Japan's Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, the U.K.'s BAE Systems and Italy's Leonardo.
It aims to surpass the capabilities of state-of-the-art fifth-generation aircraft, such as the U.S.-made F-35.
Speaking at Thursday's meeting with Britain's Ben Wallace and Italy's Guido Crosetto, Japanese Defense Minister Yasukazu Hamada called the project "a cornerstone of wide-ranging cooperation for generations to come."
Wallace highlighted the plans to develop a sixth-generation fighter in his keynote speech at the DSEI Japan defense show in Tokyo on Wednesday, saying the program is "going to fuse the best of all of our technologies."
Wallace said on Wednesday that the project will need more than 25 billion pounds ($30.2 billion) over the next 10 years, with the U.K. investing 10 billion pounds.
Reuters reported this week that Japan and Britain are set to shoulder most of the development costs, with Italy bearing one-fifth of the total. Italy's Defense Ministry called the view of the two Reuters sources speculative, while Britain's Ministry of Defense said the cost details were still being worked out.
A group of companies including Mitsubishi Electric, Leonardo and Leonardo's U.K. arm said Wednesday they would collaborate on electronics for the GCAP. The partners will develop a communications system that integrates and processes information from manned and unmanned aircraft and relays information on enemy aircraft and missiles to the pilot.
The three countries will seek a proposal that meets all sides' demands on range, size, weapons systems, stealth performance and other specifications. Detailed designs may be ready by 2025, followed by flight tests.
As it weighed partners to develop a next-generation fighter jet, Tokyo chose in 2020 to receive technical assistance from Lockheed Martin but later pivoted to the U.K. and Italy instead. This marked a break with Japan's record of favoring American partners for joint defense programs.
Japan's Self-Defense Forces already use Lockheed's F-35 fighters. But many of the stealth jet's design aspects are kept secret from the Japanese side, limiting its ability to repair the jets at home. (end of excerpt)
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