Britain, Japan and Italy sign advanced fighter jet programme treaty (updated)

IHI

14/12/2023 04:45

(Updates throughout, adds defence minister quotes in paragraphs
5-7)
       LONDON/TOKYO, Dec 14 (Reuters) - Britain, Japan and
Italy have signed an international treaty to establish a
programme aimed at developing an advanced fighter jet, the
defence ministers announced on Thursday. 
    The agreement, which Reuters reported this month, comes a
year after the three countries established their first major
defence industry collaboration by merging the separate
next-generation fighter efforts of London and Tokyo.
    The parliaments of each country must ratify the agreement,
which aims to see the combat aircraft in flight by 2035. The
joint development phase of the programme will begin in 2025.   
    Both the joint government headquarters of the Global Combat
Air Programme (GCAP) and its industry counterpart will be based
in Britain. The government organisation's first chief executive
will come from Japan, while the first leader of the business
organisation will be from Italy, according to the announcement.
    "No nation can do this alone to this level of expertise
combined with our skills and our equipment, with our design and
ability on production lines," British defence minister Grant
Shapps said.
        "As we face the most complex security environment since
World War Two... securing aerial superiority continues to be a
crucial challenge that we must achieve," Japan's defence
minister, Minoru Kihara, added, flanked by Shapps and Italian
Defence Minister Guido Crosetto in Tokyo.
  
        Kihara did not say who would head the company, but said
that he would ensure "the best person for the job" is selected. 
  
  
    The supersonic stealth jet will feature a radar that can
provide 10,000 times more data than current systems, the British
government has said.
    Britain's BAE Systems  BAES.L , Italy's Leonardo  LDOF.MI ,
European missile maker MBDA and engine maker Rolls-Royce
 RROYC.UL  are involved in the project.
    Reuters has reported that Japan's Mitsubishi Heavy
Industries  7011.T , Japanese avionics manufacturer Mitsubishi
Electric Corp  6503.T , and engine makers IHI Corp  7013.T  and
Avio Aero are also involved.

 (Reporting by Kylie MacLellan in London, Sakura Murakami in
Tokyo; Editing by Angus MacSwan and Gerry Doyle)
 ((kylie.maclellan@thomsonreuters.com;))