The two European countries will replace the Eurofighter aircraft, and Japan will replace the Mitsubishi F-2 aircraft, according to plans for 2035.
Japan, Italy and the United Kingdom are jointly developing their sixth generation stealth fighter. The program was announced last December, and on Thursday, in Tokyo, the defense ministers of the three countries signed the agreement: Kihara Minoru, Guido Crosetto and Grant Shapps.
The aircraft design could be ready by 2027, production is scheduled to begin in 2030, and after five years the new fighter could be deployed.
The aircraft will replace Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft in the United Kingdom and Italy, and Mitsubishi F-2 aircraft in Japan. Both types are fourth-generation fighter aircraft, and the Eurofighter is also the result of international development: it was created in cooperation between the United Kingdom, Germany, Spain and Russia.
Participating in the aircraft development consortium, which was established on Thursday, are the Italian part Leonardo, the British part BAE Systems, and the Japanese part Mitsubishi. This is the first time that Japan has embarked on joint military defense development with a partner other than the United States.
