Japan, Britain and Italy have announced that they will jointly develop a next-generation fighter jet by 2035. It is the first time Japan has entered into such defense cooperation with countries other than the United States.

The heads of state and government of the three countries explainedwhich will build on its longstanding defense relationships with the fighter jet development program.

Three companies are primarily responsible for the development of the new combat aircraft.

According to the Japanese Ministry of Defense, the Japanese company Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, the British company BAE Systems and the Italian company Leonardo will be primarily responsible for the development of the new combat aircraft.

At a press conference in Tokyo, Japanese Defense Minister Yasukazu Hamada said: “I hope that this time our cooperation will become the basis for peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific and Europe. Before finalizing the deal , the three nations would have held talks, with Japan ready to lead development.”

Japan plans to field 100 new fighter jets in 2035 to replace the Air Self-Defense Force’s aging F-2 fighter jets, which are due to be retired the same year.

Britain and Italy want to replace their total of 240 Eurofighter jets with the new fighter jet.

Japan is constantly expanding its security relations.

The Japanese government has expanded its security ties with NATO countries such as France and Germany. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida attended the NATO summit in June, where he stressed the need for Japan-NATO cooperation to counter potential threats from authoritarian states like Russia and China.

According to the information, Japan is also considering exporting the new fighter jet to other countries in the future.