‘Would not endanger our national defense’: Japan to sell fighter jets to other countries

Japan’s cabinet on Tuesday approved a plan to sell a future next-generation fighter jet it is developing with Britain and Italy to other countries, the latest move away from Japan’s postwar pacifist principles.

The controversial decision to allow international arms sales is expected to help secure Japan’s place in the joint fighter program and is part of a move to build up Japan’s arms industry and strengthen its role in global security.

The cabinet also approved changes to Japan’s weapons, equipment and technology transfer guidelines to allow the sale of jointly produced lethal weapons to countries other than partners.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Hayashi Yoshimasa said the changes were necessary given Japan’s security environment, but stressed that Japan’s pacifist principles remained unchanged.

“In order to manufacture fighter jets that meet necessary performance and avoid endangering Japan’s national defense, it is necessary to transfer finished products from Japan to countries other than partner countries,” Hayashi told reporters.

Tokyo will follow strict approval procedures for aircraft sales, he added. “We have made it clear that we will continue to uphold our fundamental ideals as a peaceful nation,” he said.

Japan has long restricted arms exports under the country’s pacifist constitution but has moved quickly to loosen controls amid rising regional and global tensions, especially from neighboring China.

The decision on the jets would allow Japan to export lethal weapons it co-produces to other countries for the first time.

Japan is working with Italy and the UK to develop an advanced fighter jet to replace its aging US-designed F-2 fighter jets and Eurofighter Typhoons used by the British and Italian militaries.

Japan had previously worked on a homegrown design called FX, and in December 2022 agreed to merge its work with a British and Italian project called Tempest for deployment in 2035.

The joint project is called the Global Combat Air Program, or GCAP, and is based in the United Kingdom.

Japan hopes the new aircraft will provide the advanced capabilities it needs amid rising tensions in the region, giving it a technological edge against regional rivals China and Russia.

Because of its history as a wartime aggressor and the devastation it suffered after its defeat in World War II, Japan adopted a constitution that limited its military to self-defense.

The country has long had strict policies restricting the transfer of military equipment and technology and banning the export of all lethal weapons.

Opponents have criticized Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s government for committing to the fighter jet program without providing an explanation to the public or seeking approval for major policy changes.

To address these issues, the government is currently restricting exports of jointly developed lethal weapons to the aircraft and has pledged not to sell them for use in current wars.