Japan, Britain to jointly develop 6th-generation stealth fighter jets to contain China

Japan cooperates with the UK, which can share advanced technology instead of the US that does not share it… Resurrection of the 21st century Anglo-Japanese alliance

The Mikasa, the flagship of the Imperial Japanese Combined Fleet during the Russo-Japanese War, is on display at Yokosuka Port in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. The Japanese Combined Fleet, led by Admiral Heihachiro Togo, defeated the Baltic Fleet of Imperial Russia at the Battle of Tsushima on May 27, 1905 and led the Russo-Japanese War to victory. The Mikasa, a 15,000-ton battleship, achieved remarkable results by sinking Russian warships at the time.

This battleship was built by Japan in 1898 on order from the British Empire. After winning the Sino-Japanese War, Japan used the reparations money it received from the Qing Dynasty and commissioned Britain to build six battleships and six armored cruisers. The Mikasa was a state-of-the-art ship at the time. Although she outperformed the battleships the Royal Navy had, there was internal resistance, but Britain signed an alliance with Japan in London on 30 January 1902, and on 1 March of the same year she handed over the Mikasa to Japan. The background of Britain’s active support of Japan was a common enemy, Russia. Japan was able to annihilate the Russian Baltic Fleet thanks to the supply of state-of-the-art ships and shells from Britain.

?Japan joined hands with Britain again. The three countries of Japan, the UK and Italy have begun developing a 6th generation stealth fighter by 2035. This development plan, called the Global Combat Aviation Program (GCAP), is a combination of the 6th-generation fighter development program Tempest (Tempest), which was promoted by the UK and Italy, and the next-generation fighter development plan (FX program) of Japan. Mitsubishi Heavy Industries of Japan, BAE Systems of England, and Leonardo of Italy participated. When the 6th generation fighter is developed, it is expected to replace the Japanese F-2 and the British and Italian Eurofighter fighters.

GCAP is not a simple collaboration for the development of next-generation fighter jets. It is a kind of cooperation at the level of an alliance to oppose China. In Japan, there is already talk of a plan to develop a ’21st century version of the zero line’. The sixth-generation fighter is a next-generation fighter equipped with directional energy weapons such as hypersonic weapons that fly at five times the speed of sound and electromagnetic wave attacks, while strengthening the stealth function of the US F-22 and F-35 and China’s J-20. Based on artificial intelligence (AI) control, it is expected to establish itself as the world’s strongest fighter as it can operate unmanned aerial vehicles (drones) and integrated tactics.

The Zero was a fighter developed independently by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries during World War II and was mobilized during the Japanese air raid on Pearl Harbor in Hawaii, USA. In the early days of World War II, with a high speed of up to 530 km/h and a short turning radius, it shot down a large number of British-made Spitfire fighters deployed in Asia as well as older aircraft of the US Army and Navy Air Corps. At the time, the US military also issued emergency instructions to pilots to avoid one-on-one dogfights with the Zero.

At the end of 1942, the new aircraft was supplied to the US Navy, and the US Army also turned the new fighter (P-38), which had been deployed on the European front, to the Pacific Ocean. By the time Japan was defeated, it was notorious as a fighter jet used by the suicide special forces ‘Kamikaze’. Nonetheless, some Japanese who dream of reviving militarism still consider the Zero as a symbol of ‘the strongest Japanese military in the world’.

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida (left) and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak shake hands after signing the Facilitation Agreement (RAA) on January 13.[영국 국방부 제공]

What is the reason why Japan, which was promoting the FX program with Lockheed Martin, an American defense company, cooperated with the UK? Japan felt the need to develop a 6th-generation fighter due to North Korea’s nuclear and missile provocations, China’s possible invasion of Taiwan, and Russia’s threat, but was frustrated by the US policy of “not sharing cutting-edge technology.” Lockheed Martin opposed Japan’s use of F-22 and F-35 manufacturing technology. Japan wants to play a leading role in the development of the 6th generation fighter considering the rapidly changing geopolitical reality of Northeast Asia. In the process of fighter development, national sentiment about “which side takes the initiative” also played a role. In the end, Japan had no choice but to cooperate with Britain, which could share technology.

After Britain withdrew from the European Union (Brexit), it was excluded from the next-generation fighter project led by France, Germany, and Spain, and independently promoted the development of a sixth-generation fighter. The problem is that a huge amount of money is required to independently develop a 6th-generation fighter. Cooperation with other countries is advantageous in securing export markets. Moreover, after Brexit, the UK promoted a new external strategy called ‘Global Britain’ and showed an active appearance in advancing into the Indo-Pacific region. Considering the above context, Britain assumed Japan as the most suitable ally.

Britain, an island country at the western end of the Eurasian continent, and Japan, an island country at the eastern end, have joined hands in the past. In 1902, the two countries formed an alliance to check Russia, which was moving south at the time. The two countries that fought against Russia are pursuing a second alliance against China this time. In fact, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, who were visiting London on January 13, signed the ‘Agreement on Rehabilitation Agreement (RAA)’, which can be called a security treaty. The RAA is a treaty that allows armies from both countries to enter the other country without visas and easily bring weapons and ammunition. If this agreement is signed, ships or fighters can easily enter the other country, facilitating large-scale military exercises, and mutual dispatch of troops in case of emergency is possible. At the time, Prime Minister Sunak evaluated it as “the most important security agreement since the Anglo-Japanese Alliance in 1902.” The two countries abolished their alliance through World War I, and during World War II, they fought each other with guns and knives, but they restored the honeymoon relationship again.

The joint development of a 6th-generation fighter jet between the two countries will be a mutually beneficial project not only in the military, but also in the fields of diplomacy and economy. Above all, it is expected that the two countries, together with the United States, will have the means to keep China and Russia in check by producing fighter jets that represent the West. Based on this, the two countries are expected to exercise strong diplomatic power by strengthening security and military cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region.

The economic benefits are also enormous. The UK analyzed that GCAP could create an average of 21,000 jobs per year and contribute 26.2 billion pounds (about 42.8 trillion won) to its economy by 2050. In cooperation with Britain, Japan can not only reduce the cost of developing a 6th-generation fighter, but also develop the defense industry by acquiring stealth, electronic equipment, advanced radar, and engine technology. UK Defense Secretary Van Wallace said: “GCAP is not a short love affair. It is in this context that I can see the reason why I said, “It will be a marriage.”

It is clear that the honeymoon relationship between Britain and Japan will deepen further. The two countries have signed an Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA), a free trade agreement (FTA) that took effect on January 1, 2021. The EPA is the first trade agreement the UK has signed with a major country in the world since Brexit.

What is noteworthy is that the UK officially joined the Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) led by Japan on March 30. The UK is the only European country that has joined the CPTPP. Existing members are 11 countries including Japan, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Mexico, Chile, Peru, Malaysia, Vietnam, Singapore and Brunei. As the United Kingdom, the world’s 5th largest economy with a population of 65 million, joined, the CPTPP’s influence grew. The share of CPTPP member countries in global gross domestic product (GDP) also increased from 12% to 15%. The scale of trade also increased from 6.6 trillion dollars (approximately 87 trillion won) to 7.8 trillion dollars (approximately 1.283 trillion won), and the population increased from 510 million to 580 million (6.6% of the world’s population). ) increased to

CPTPP originated from the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), which was promoted by the United States during the time of former President Barack Obama. The TPP, which was created to contain China, was abolished in 2017 with former President Donald Trump’s unilateral decision to withdraw. Later, in December 2018, Japan created the CPTPP, which took over the framework of the TPP. To join the CPTPP, unanimous consent of member states is required, and Japan has been the most influential. Japan has enlisted Britain instead of the United States to build a force against the China-led Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP). At a time when the current international situation, such as security and economy, is similar to that of 120 years ago, the revival of the Anglo-Japanese alliance in the 21st century is expected to become an axis of a new order in the Indo-Pacific region.

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Weekly Donga

Published in issue 1385>

Janghoon Lee International Affairs Analyst [email protected]

Source: Donga

Mark

Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.