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Japan announced on Friday that it will jointly develop a next-generation fighter jet with Britain and Italy, as Tokyo looks to expand defense cooperation beyond its traditional ally, the United States.
The Mitsubishi FX fighter will replace Japan’s aging F-2 fleet, which was previously jointly developed with the United States.
Japan’s FX and the UK’s Tempest, successors to the Eurofighter Typhoon, will combine to form the next generation of combat aircraft to be fielded by 2035. The deal would give Japan greater support in countering China’s growing assertiveness and allow Britain to play a bigger role in the Indo-Pacific region. Pacific region.
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Friday’s fighter jet announcement came four days after Prime Minister Fumio Kishida announced spending targets aimed at boosting Japan’s military capabilities, including a sharp increase in defense spending over the next five years. To meet a five-year total of 43 trillion yen ($316 billion), the government needs an additional 4 trillion yen ($30 billion) in defense spending each year. Of these, a quarter will be funded through tax increases.
A revised national security strategy, expected to be released later this month, is expected to give the country a pre-emptive strike capability and deploy long-range missiles. It was a significant and controversial shift from Japan’s self-defense-only defense policy following its defeat in World War II in 1945.
In response to growing threats from China and North Korea, Japan has been expanding defense partnerships with countries in the Indo-Pacific region including Australia, Southeast Asian countries and Europe.
Later on Friday, Japan and Australia will hold “2 2” security talks between their foreign and defense ministers in Tokyo to discuss deepening military ties after Kishida and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Abbott signed a new bilateral security agreement in October. It covers military, intelligence and cybersecurity cooperation amid China’s growing assertiveness.
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