Japan, Britain and Italy signed an agreement to develop a fighter plane

THE Britain, Japan and Italy sign international treaty to create program to develop advanced fighter jetthe defense ministers announced today.

The deal comes a year after the three countries entered into the first major defense industry cooperation by merging London and Tokyo’s separate efforts on the next-generation fighter.

The parliaments of the three countries must ratify the agreement, which aims to have the new fighter in flight by 2035. The joint development phase of the program will begin in 2025.

Both the Global Compat Air Program (GCAP) management staff and the program’s industrial staff will be based in Britain. The first managing director of the program will be Japanese, while the first head of the business organization will be Italian, according to the announcement.

“No country can do this alone at this level of expertise combining our skills and equipment, with the design and capabilities of our production lines,” British Defense Secretary Grant Shapps said.

“As we face the most complex security environment since World War II … securing air superiority continues to be a critical challenge that we must achieve,” Japanese Defense Minister Minoru Kihara added from Tokyo, flanked by Sapps and the Italian Minister of Defense Guido Crozeto.

The supersonic jet will have technology that makes it invisible to radar (stealth), as well and a radar that can provide 10,000 times more data than today’s systemsthe British government has announced.

Britain’s BAE Systems, Italy’s Leonardo, European missile maker MBDA and engine maker Rolls-Royce are participating in the program.

Reuters has reported that Japan’s Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Japan’s Mitsubishi Electric Corp and engine makers IHI Corp and Avio Aero are also involved.