Japan can deepen ties with the United Kingdom in many areas, including via European free trade, efforts to mitigate climate change and purchase of the European mainstay fighter jet, said David Howell, British minister of state at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.
Howell, visiting Japan last week for high-level exchanges, urged the government to adopt the Eurofighter Typhoon, which has been jointly developed by four European countries, including the U.K.
Japan is set to choose its next-generation fighter, code-named F-X, to initially replace its aging F-4s by the end of the year. The three main candidates are the Lockheed F-35, which is being jointly developed by nine countries, including the U.S. and the U.K., the Boeing F/A-18 and the Eurofighter Typhoon.