**Japan, UK, and Italy to Fast-Track Joint Fighter Jet Development**

The defense chiefs from Japan, the United Kingdom, and Italy have reached a consensus to accelerate the collaborative development of a next-generation fighter aircraft. This partnership will include the formation of a trilateral government organization before the year concludes, according to Japanese officials.

Following their 2022 agreement under the Global Combat Air Program (GCAP), the three nations aim to deploy the state-of-the-art combat jet by 2035. This initiative is intended to bolster their cooperative defense strategies in response to mounting threats from China, Russia, and North Korea.

The new stealth fighter jet will replace Japan’s aging F-2s, which were co-developed with the U.S., and the Eurofighter Typhoons, created in collaboration with the UK, Italy, Spain, and Germany.

On Sunday, Japanese Defense Minister Gen Nakatani, along with his UK and Italian counterparts John Healey and Guido Crosetto, disclosed plans to establish a joint entity named the GCAP International Government Organization (GIGO) by the end of this year. This new body will manage the aircraft's development. The announcement came during a meeting on the margins of the Group of Seven defense ministers' summit in Naples, Italy.

Prominent private firms including Japan’s Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Britain’s BAE Systems PLC, and Italy’s Leonardo are key players in the project. GIGO will be headquartered in the UK and led by a Japanese official. Nakatani stated, “We now see the launch of GIGO and a joint venture on track” toward sealing their inaugural contract next year.

This agreement aims to alleviate concerns about the project's progress amid leadership changes in Japan and the UK. Recently, a 1/10th scale model of the joint fighter jet was showcased at the GCAP booth during a major aerospace exhibit in Tokyo, marking its debut display in Japan.

Akira Sugimoto, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries' senior representative for the GCAP in Japan, emphasized the significance of the joint venture for Japanese suppliers and the country’s industrial infrastructure. “Our basic position is to unite our strengths to develop a high-quality fighter jet. Japanese suppliers possess outstanding technologies, and I hope many will join GCAP,” Sugimoto noted. He also highlighted that the project would enhance Japanese suppliers' capacity for developing advanced equipment, thus improving their business stability and outlook.

As Japan continues to expand its military capabilities to counter China's increasing assertiveness, this joint fighter jet project is expected to strengthen the largely domestic and underdeveloped Japanese defense industry. Furthermore, Japan has relaxed its arms export restrictions to facilitate foreign sales of the forthcoming fighter jet and the licensing of weapons. This includes the transfer of surface-to-air PAC-3 missile interceptors produced in Japan to support U.S. inventories, which have been depleted due to aid provided to Ukraine.