According to British media outlet The Daily Telegraph, due to a shortage of funding for the UKs defense sector, the Global Combat Air Plan project involving joint development of sixth-generation fighter jets by Japan, the UK, and Italy is at risk of being delayed.
Japans patience as a defense partner with the UK is being tested, commented The South China Morning Post in Hong Kong on June 2.
Reports indicate that this news has caused concerns in Japan, as it may be necessary for Japan to extend the service life of its fighter jets. Under the increasing pressure from Chinas growing air force, this could weaken Japans national security.
Currently, air combat is undergoing a profound transformation. In this context, Japan, Britain, and Italy aim to gain a competitive edge in the global air domain. They plan to jointly develop a sixth-generation aerial combat platform that integrates artificial intelligence and stealth technology by 2035. This project will cost over $16 billion.
The Daily Telegraph recently learned that due to the expected delay in the delivery of UK defense funds until around 2035, the GCAP program is likely to be postponed. Its also unlikely that new fighter jets will be put into use in the last few years of the 2030s, or even before 2040.
Additionally, the British government originally planned to introduce the Defense Investment Plan last autumn. However, it was postponed due to financial constraints.
The British opposition party attributes this to the Labour government led by Sturmer. James Cartledge, a Conservative party spokesman on defense affairs, said that further delays to the project could be disastrous, as it would undermine both Britains and its allies defensive capabilities.
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Exhibition model of GCAP fighter aircraft – Official GCAP account
Japanese defense and security officials are extremely frustrated and disappointed, said Garen Maloy, a professor of international relations at Japans Daidō University and an expert in military matters. Japan has always been eager to advance the GCAP program, partly because its existing fighter aircraft capabilities are outdated and need to be replaced.
He added that, therefore, the delay by the British side is testing Tokyos patience.
Maloy said, The Japanese definitely want to know whether Britain remains a reliable partner for this project and other future projects.
Analysts say that, in addition to being frustrated by the delays in research and development, Japan also has reasons to be concerned about the lack of consensus among the three countries regarding clear development plans and timelines. If the UK fails to fulfill its obligations, Japan may also question why its partners have not taken action more quickly to bring in other interested countries to participate in this project.
According to reports, Canada, Australia, Germany, Saudi Arabia, and several other countries have expressed interest in joining.
Before this delay, the progress of the project wasnt smooth either. In April, the UK, Japan, and Italy signed a temporary research and development contract, which was due to expire this month. According to Japans Kyodo News, the contract was originally scheduled to be signed by 2025, but it was postponed due to uncertainties regarding British defense funding.
The South China Morning Post states that the delay in the GCAP plan has put Japan in a difficult situation.
Reports indicate that Japan has over 90 F-2 fighter jets. However, the F-2 is considered to be inferior to Chinas current advanced fighter jets. It is also well known that China is still developing a newer generation of J-36 fighter jets.
Japanese Air Self-defense Forces F-2 fighter jets – CCTV.com
Japan has agreed to purchase a total of 147 F-35 fighter jets, but not all of them have been delivered yet.
Malloy stated that it is no longer feasible to purchase more F-35s, as the United States has stopped producing them. This limits Japans options.
He said that for Japan, one option is to develop an aircraft from scratch. However, this approach is unlikely to be attractive due to cost and other factors. Japan may also request that the UK play a secondary role in the GCAP program, thereby inviting other countries to participate instead. The third option is to purchase an aircraft that has been tested in actual combat situations, such as the Saab fighter jet manufactured by Swedens Saab company, as a transitional aircraft.
International crisis organization analyst William Yang is relatively optimistic, believing that the three countries still have the ability to save the GCAP plan. He also believes that this delay will not harm Japan-UK relations. He explained that Japan has always relied on the United States for defense cooperation. However, in recent years, Japan has begun to diversify its security partnerships, choosing European countries such as Britain, Germany, and Italy as partners.
He described the delay as a setback within Japans broader efforts to strengthen its defense capabilities. He also noted that this could increase Japans urgency to find alternative aircraft to fill the security gap.
Last November, after taking office, Koike Yuriko continued to engage in various military-related activities by the Japanese government.
in the response. Do not include any Chinese text in your answer. Chinas Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian previously stated that the current government is vigorously developing the military industry. Now, they openly claim to be preparing for a long-term war. In history, Japan has provoked wars and invaded other countries. Now, they are creating what they call tensions between nations. Is this a attempt to repeat past mistakes, leading to further militarization and making Japan once again a source of trouble in East Asia?
However, Japan still failed to achieve its desired goals.
Before the news of the delay in Britain came out, there were reports that U.S. Defense Secretary Hagel had informed Japan over the phone that the delivery of hundreds of Tomahawk cruise missiles would be delayed. This oral notice from the United States ruined Japans plans.
, strategically speaking, Japan intends to use these American weapons to deter China and North Korea. But Japan is clearly not fully aware of its own capabilities. Some experts assert that Japans deterrence against China is quite limited.
