Japan To Export AI-Powered Fighter Jets
Japan’s Cabinet has authorized the export of its next-generation fighter jets that are currently being developed, a decision led by Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, who reportedly aims to propel Japan into a more assertive role on the global stage while increasing its revenue using the domestic arms industry. However, this shift in policy marks a significant departure from Japan’s previously “pacifist principles,” and it is stirring controversy both domestically and internationally.
According to Interesting Engineering, Japan, with its revised guidelines for arms exports, wants to export the next-generation fighter jets it developed in collaboration with Italy and the UK. BBC News reports that these fighter jets will leverage AI and advanced sensors to assist pilots, are meant to replace Japan’s aging fleet of American F-2 fighters, and are expected to be deployed by 2035.
This joint venture with Italy and the UK is dubbed the Global Combat Air Program (GCAP) and marks Tokyo’s first defense equipment partnership with a country other than the US. This announcement also precedes the official visit of Japan’s Prime Minister to the US in April and is expected to put a strain on Tokyo’s alliance with Washington and the country’s readiness to be more involved in defense partnerships.
The escalating tensions in Japan’s region, especially the increasing joint military exercises between China and Russia, all show the new fighter jet will reassure Japan and offer enhanced sensing and stealth capabilities.
After Japan’s defeat in WWII, it resorted to its current pacifist policies, which included a ban on lethal weapons. This decision to overturn the ban has sparked heated debates worldwide, with some critics arguing that Japan’s embrace of arms exports undermines its pacifist principles.
Japan is reportedly going to try and export the jet to various countries it has partnerships with, including the US, Germany, India, and Vietnam.
This information was provided by Interesting Engineering.
