Japan, UK, Italy to make next-generation fighter jet

Published December 10, 2022
Their announcement was accompanied by a set of bombastic images. — AFP
Their announcement was accompanied by a set of bombastic images. — AFP

LONDON: Britain, Italy and Japan said on Friday they will jointly develop a future fighter jet in a project that UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said would guarantee national security and safeguard thousands of jobs.

The three nations held out the prospect of cooperation with European and US allies, which are developing their own “sixth-generation” planes, vowing to maintain “interoperability” among all the allies against threats from the likes of China and Russia.

The new “Global Combat Air Programme” is slated to produce its first jets by 2035, merging the three nations’ costly existing research into new aerial war technology, from stealth capacity to high-tech sensors.

“We’re one of the few countries in the world that has the capability to build technologically advanced fighter aircraft,” Sunak told reporters on a visit to a Royal Air Force base in eastern England.

“That’s important because it means we can keep the country safe from the new threats that we face,” he said. “It also adds billions to our economy and supports tens of thousands of jobs across the country. But it’s also good for our international reputation.” The announcement was accompanied by a set of images showing an artist’s impression of the sleek new jets flying past Mount Fuji and over London and Rome.

In a joint statement, the three countries said the project would “accelerate our advanced military capability and technological advantage” at a time when “threats and aggression are increasing” worldwide.

Published in Dawn, December 10th, 2022

Opinion

Revamping the ecosystem

Revamping the ecosystem

Key to high-quality performance of public sector institutions lies in attracting, retaining and motivating civil servants of high calibre throughout the system.

Editorial

Rain havoc
Updated 19 Jul, 2025

Rain havoc

Thursday’s events must be seen not as an isolated disaster, but as a warning of what lies ahead.
Shattered Strip
19 Jul, 2025

Shattered Strip

THE Gaza siege has now crossed 650 days and the situation continues to take one ugly turn after another. True, even...
Battling drugs
19 Jul, 2025

Battling drugs

PAKISTAN’s war on drug trafficking has been ongoing for several years. But the country remains awash in the ...
Soaring again
Updated 18 Jul, 2025

Soaring again

The lifting of the ban by the UK will lead to several welcome developments.
Terror in Kalat
18 Jul, 2025

Terror in Kalat

THE unrest in Balochistan is increasingly taking on an ugly and dangerous colour, with repeated, indiscriminate...
Economic exclusion
18 Jul, 2025

Economic exclusion

FOR all the progress made in Pakistan towards the inclusion of women across the sociopolitical divide, comprehensive...