Defense Ministers Confirm 2035 Deployment of New Fighters; Concern Dispelled That Britain Might Rethink Participation

By Naohiro Tamura and Kazuhiko Makita / Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writers

17:00 JST, July 24, 2024

LONDON — Defense Minister Minoru Kihara confirmed with British Defense Secretary John Healey and Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto that their three countries will continue a program to jointly develop and deploy next-generation fighters in 2035, at a meeting of the three ministers in London on Tuesday.

There had been media reports that the British government might review its participation in the program, known as the Global Combat Air Program (GCAP), following the change in the British administration.

“What we were concerned about didn’t happen,” Kihara told reporters after the meeting, indicating that the joint program will be implemented as scheduled.

Kihara also said the ministers agreed to make preparations “by the end of this year” to establish an international entity named the GCAP International Government Organization (GIGO) to manage the joint development program.

The British Defense Ministry posted on X (formerly Twitter), “They discussed progress on the future fighter jet programme, as well as the skills and economic benefits of the work.”

Later, Kihara held a separate meeting with Healey, and the ministers confirmed that Japan will apply the Self-Defense Forces’ protection of weapons and other military assets to the British military. This protection is offered to foreign military forces that act in collaboration with the SDF.

Britain is the third country to be covered by the SDF protection, following the United States and Australia.