Party hears government position on next-gen fighter
March 2 , 2024
Komeito held a hearing on the GCAP with government officials on Mar. 1
On March 1, Komeito’s assessment group on foreign and national security policy held a hearing at which the government elaborated its position regarding the Global Combat Air Program (GCAP), the sixth-generation advanced jet fighter being co-developed by Italy, the UK and Japan. At the hearing, government officials explained that for Japan to defend its sovereignty as an island-nation, it needs to engage an attack either by air or sea far from its shores, which Japanese self-defense force jets cannot fulfill at present. Only the most technically advanced aircraft are up to the task, they said; in addition, the partnership would alleviate the development burden by sharing in the cost and technologies.
As to why Japan should be able to directly export to third-party countries, officials said that talks are ongoing among the three co-developers to finalize the performance envelope of their respective versions. Being unable to export the jet itself would likely undermine Japan’s position as a full partner and make it difficult to produce a version that fully meets its national security needs, officials said.
Komeito held a hearing on the GCAP with government officials on Mar. 1