The defense ministers of Japan, the U.K. and Italy have agreed to accelerate the joint development of a next-generation fighter jet. Japanese officials announced Sunday that a trilateral government organization would be established to work with the parties producing the craft. The three countries agreed in 2022 to jointly produce a new combat aircraft that will be ready for deployment in 2035 under the Global Combat Air Program or GCAP. It's designed to strengthen cooperation in the face of growing threats from China, Russia and North Korea. The next generation fighter jet would replace Japan’s retiring F-2s that it jointly developed with the U.S. and Eurofighter Typhoons developed by four countries including the U.K. and Italy.
