Japan’s joint fighter jet project with the U.K. and Italy will take center stage at a defense show near Tokyo this week, as the country bolsters its defense ties with NATO members and mulls loosening controls on defense exports.
The Global Combat Air Program, a next-generation stealth fighter announced in December, is the country’s first major military development plan with partners other than the U.S. since World War II. The defense ministers from the three countries will meet in Tokyo on Thursday for discussions on the plane, Japan’s Defense Ministry said.
Japan has been one of the biggest buyers of U.S. aircraft for years and the fighter jet signals Tokyo is ready to increase outlays on its domestic arms makers as it pledges to increase defense spending by 60% in the next five years.