CNN
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Britain, Japan and Italy are a trio who announced on Friday that they are working together to build a sixth-generation fighter.
“We are announcing the Global Combat Aviation Program (GCAP), an ambitious effort to develop a next-generation fighter by 2035,” the leaders of the UK, Japan and Italy said in a joint statement. I was.
The statement did not name China or Russia, but new fighters are needed because of “increasing threats and attacks” on the “rules-based, free and open international order”. said.
“It is more important than ever to protect our democracy, economy and security, and to safeguard regional stability.
In a separate statement, the UK government said development of the new fighter is expected to begin in 2024 and is expected to fly by 2035.
A UK statement said the company will showcase technology from each of its three partners.
“We aim to be the next generation jet powered by a network of capabilities such as unmanned aerial vehicles, advanced sensors, cutting-edge weaponry and innovative data systems,” he added.
The new jet is seen as an alternative to Britain’s Typhoon fighter and Japan’s F-2.
The new plan would see Britain, Japan and Italy go their separate ways without the backing of the United States, the world’s leading fighter manufacturer.
All three countries are part of the United States’ fifth-generation F-35 stealth fighter program, and all three fly F-35s, with versions of the fighters being assembled in Italy and Japan. Not expected to affect the F-35 program.
In a joint statement with Japan’s Ministry of Defense, the Pentagon endorsed the development of a new fighter.
“The United States supports Japan’s security and defense cooperation with like-minded allies and partners, including our close partners the United Kingdom and Italy, regarding the development of the next-generation fighter,” the statement said. Stated.
Meanwhile, statements from the UK, Japan and Italy said the new planes would be designed to integrate with the defense programs of all allies and partners.
“Future interoperability with our partners in the United States, NATO, Europe, the Indo-Pacific and the rest of the world is reflected in the name we have chosen for our program. says.
The GCAP program “supports the sovereign capacity of all three nations to design, deliver, and upgrade state-of-the-art combat aviation capabilities,” the leader said.
Critics say that strict US export controls on military technology sometimes limit what customers of aircraft like the F-35 can do to adapt to their specific needs.
The United States is also developing a sixth-generation fighter known as the Next Generation Air Superiority (NGAD) program. It is designed as a successor to the F-22, which is considered the world’s best fighter along with the F-35.
The NGAD program has similar objectives as the UK-Japan Joint Programme.
“The Air Force intends the NGAD to replace the F-22 fighter jets from 2030 and could include a combination of manned and unmanned aircraft,” said a U.S. Congressional research document.
But for now, the United States is leading the NGAD program alone.
Leaders from the UK, Japan and Italy underscored the benefits of working together.
“This will deepen defense cooperation, science and technology cooperation and integrated supply chains, further strengthening the defense industrial base,” their joint statement said.
The program is also expected to boost the economy.
“The program will support jobs and livelihoods across Japan, Italy and the UK, with broader economic and industrial benefits,” the statement said.
A 2021 analysis by PricewaterhouseCoopers said the new military aircraft program could support around 21,000 jobs a year by 2050 and contribute an estimated $32.1 billion (£26.2 billion) to the economy, according to a UK statement. predicted to be possible.
Meanwhile, China and Russia are also believed to be pursuing sixth-generation aircraft.
China and Russia currently fly fifth-generation fighters, including Beijing’s J-20 and J-31 jets and Moscow’s Su-57.
However, the U.S.-designed F-35 is widely regarded as equal to or better than Chinese and Russian aircraft.
