An official with the Japanese Defense Ministry’s Acquisition, Technology & Logistics Agency declined to comment on the matter, including about whether the German side has asked to participate in the three-way project, citing “relations with countries concerned.”
The official added that the joint project “has been designed with cooperation with allies and like-minded countries in mind.”
Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi and Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi will visit Germany from Friday to attend the Munich Security Conference.
Motegi announced his planned trip at a news conference Tuesday. At the annual conference in Munich, which brings together foreign and defense ministers and other officials from various countries, Motegi plans to call for the realization of a “free and open Indo-Pacific,” with China’s hegemonic actions in mind.
On the sidelines of the conference, set to take place for three days from Friday, a meeting of foreign ministers from the Group of Seven (G7) major powers is expected to be held.
“I want to frankly exchange views on key challenges facing the international community and reaffirm G7 cooperation,” Motegi said.
The foreign minister is scheduled to stay in Germany until Monday.
The G7 groups Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States plus the European Union.
Koizumi is slated to meet with his German counterpart, Boris Pistorius, and other officials, in addition to his participation in the Munich Security Conference, during his three-day visit to Germany, the Defense Ministry said Tuesday.
BERLIN/PARIS – Germany appears to be considering participating in a joint project among Japan, Britain and Italy to develop a next-generation fighter jet, as its collaboration with France and Spain faces challenges.
In 2017, Germany and France came up with a joint development project for a next-generation fighter model, in which Spain later participated. However, defense companies from Germany and France struggled over leadership, leading to a breakdown of trust, according to a German newspaper.
Concept model of the Global Air Combat Program fighter jet on display at the Defense and Security Equipment International Japan conference in Chiba last May A concept model of the Global Air Combat Program fighter jet on display at the Defense and Security Equipment International Japan conference in Chiba last May
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