Mitsubishi Aircraft Corp. opened a U.S. facility Monday to advance the development of its regional jet, Japan's first indigenously built small jet, by facilitating flight testing and analysis, starting next year.

"Our aim is to make the best use of the resources and skill set of aircraft experts and professionals of Seattle, which is a global hub of the aviation industry," President Hiromichi Morimoto said at a ceremony held Monday in Seattle to officially inaugurate the Seattle Engineering Center.

Referring to the Mitsubishi Regional Jet, the president stressed that the "MRJ is developed and made with the state of Washington and the United States."