Italy, Japan and Britain have joined forces to sign off on a project to design and manufacture a next-generation fighter jet.
The defense program code of all three countries is "Global Combat Air Program".
The defense ministers of the three countries agreed Thursday that the Global Combat Air program will move forward with building the advanced fighter jet, which combines the design of the Japanese FX fighter that replaced the Japanese Air Force's F-2 jets with that of the the British fighter Tempest.
The plane is expected to be ready to fly in 2035, as the three countries look to strengthen their cooperation in this area to counter growing threats from China, Russia and North Korea.

According to the plan, the consortium, called the Global Combat Air Program, will include Japan's Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Britain's BAE Systems PLC and Italy's Leonardo. He will supervise the progress of the work for the development of the aircraft, while hundreds of workers from the three countries will work to achieve the objective, having a division of responsibilities.
The joint project will be based in Britain, while officials from the three countries will take the positions of responsibility on a rotating basis. This specific development program is the first in Japan's history where it participates in the development and export of weapons systems together with other countries, as its post-war Constitution places restrictions on such activities.
This is also the biggest issue currently preoccupying Tokyo, as the government has recently been trying to overcome this obstacle, arguing that geopolitical conditions and advances in defense technology, especially air forces, such as Russia and China, force Japan to take necessary measures together with partner countries.