Tokyo, 04 March, /AJMEDIA/
Defense Minister Minoru Kihara has called on Japan’s ruling parties to approve “as soon as possible” the export of next-generation fighter jets set to be co-developed with Britain and Italy to third countries after they failed to meet an end-of-February deadline.
The ministry requested the ruling Liberal Democratic Party and its junior coalition partner, the Komeito party, conclude negotiations by the end of last month, saying that the delay to agree could affect three-way talks that are set to take place from March to hammer out details on the plan to develop the fighter jet by 2035.
To help the parties reach an agreement, “the government will give a detailed and clear explanation regarding the necessity” to allow the exports, Kihara told a press conference.
Since the discussions began in April, Komeito, traditionally backed by a major lay Buddhist group, remained cautious about promoting weapons exports under Japan’s war-renouncing Constitution.
The three countries plan to set up a new organization responsible for exporting the jets and other associated tasks, with the head of the body to be sent from Japan.
Japan has recently relaxed its strict regulations on overseas transfers of defense equipment and technology amid an increasingly tense security environment amid tensions with China, Russia and North Korea. Still, the export of products jointly developed with other countries such as the next-generation fighter jet is yet to be approved.
The fighter jet project, unveiled in December 2022, marks Japan’s first joint defense equipment development deal with a nation other than the United States, Tokyo’s close security ally.
