The joint agency headquarters is located in the UK… It was agreed that Japan would take over as head.
The Japanese, British, and Italian governments agreed on the 14th to establish an intergovernmental organization to jointly manage development and production of the next fighter jet to be jointly developed by the three countries. The headquarters of the joint agency will be located in the UK, and the first head will be Japanese.
The Nippon Keizai Shimbun reported that the defense ministers of Japan, the United Kingdom, and Italy met at the Tokyo Ministry of Defense on this day and made this decision.
Japanese Defense Minister Minoru Kihara, British Defense Secretary Grant Shapps, and Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto signed a treaty detailing the joint organization involved in the joint development of fighter jets. The three countries decided to adhere to the current goal of deploying the next fighter jet in 2035.
The joint organization will be established in 2024 following each country’s procedures regarding the treaty. This organization coordinates the division of roles among the three countries in the development and production of the next fighter jet, gives instructions to each country in terms of technology, and checks the manufacturing process and progress.
The Yomiuri Shimbun reported, “This is the first time that Japan participates in the establishment of an international organization for joint development of defense equipment.”
Defense Minister Kihara said at a joint press conference after the meeting, “We will continue to secure air superiority by maintaining and strengthening deterrence in the next generation of fighter jets.” He also said, “There is a big risk in procuring operations, research and development, etc. only in one’s own country. “We will bring in excellent technology and share the costs and risks,” he said.
Secretary of Defense Shacks said, “We will make it state-of-the-art by equipping it with equipment and equipment. “The risks in Europe and the Indo-Pacific are clear, and we will ensure collective security beyond national boundaries,” he explained.
According to the Japanese government, government officials, including those from the Ministry of Defense, are mentioned as candidates for the position of head of the agency. Personnel are handled by the three countries in turn.
According to Yomiuri, the three countries will reportedly dispatch a total of 300 employees, 100 each, to the joint agency. The Ministry of Defense plans to dispatch self-defense officers and administrative officers. The current Ministry of Defense employee dispatch treatment law limits the dispatch of employees to international organizations for purposes such as military budget management, disarmament, and humanitarian activities. The Ministry of Defense will submit a revised bill to the regular National Assembly next year that adds matters related to international joint development of defense equipment to the dispatch requirements.
In accordance with the establishment of the institution, the three countries of Japan, England, and Lee will also establish a joint venture (JV) in charge of airframe design and manufacturing. After establishing a base in the UK, major posts will be allocated first to Japan or Italy.
Regarding the decision to establish all intergovernmental organizations and companies that manage development in the UK, Nippon Keizai said, “We decided that locating two headquarters in the UK would allow us to accumulate a lot of defense technology because it is close to the member countries of our military alliance, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). It’s from. “Germany and Saudi Arabia are also known to be interested in getting involved in the development of the next fighter plan, making it important to share information closely with related countries,” the report said.
Source: Donga
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