Joint armaments project
London, Tokyo and Rome develop new fighter jet
12/9/2022 5:31 am
The Eurofighter Typhoon has been in service with the British Royal Air Force since 2006. But a successor is to come in the foreseeable future. Together with Italy and Rome, British developers are now researching a new combat aircraft. The machine is scheduled to start rolling in 2035.
Great Britain, Japan and Italy want to jointly develop a new combat aircraft. The jet is scheduled to be operational by 2035. As the government in London announced, the G7 partners want to adapt and respond to future security threats with this “unprecedented international aerospace coalition”. The aim is a decisive change in air power and defense capability through a new generation of fighter jets. The aircraft will be compatible with the machines of other NATO partners and will eventually replace the Royal Air Force’s Eurofighter Typhoon jets. There was initially no information on the amount of the investment.
Germany and France only recently agreed on the FCAS armaments project, with which an air combat system worth billions is to be developed. The alliance with Italy and Japan makes it clear that the security of the Euro-Atlantic and Indo-Pacific regions are closely linked, said British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. He wanted to officially start the first phase of the Global Combat Air Program (GCAP) project when he visited Coningsby Air Force Base in eastern England.
A “capability network” with unmanned aircraft, advanced sensors, state-of-the-art weapons and innovative data systems is planned. The cooperation allows the expertise and costs to be shared. This should also create highly qualified jobs in all three countries. It is expected that other states will participate.