Japan has eased arms export rules to allow it to export new fighter jets it is developing with the UK and Italy – but only to countries it has signed defence pacts with, and where there is no ongoing conflict, the BBC reports.
Each fighter jet sale will require cabinet approval, authorities said.
Defence Minister Minoru Kihara said that Japan would still remain committed to the ‘basic philosophy of a pacifist nation’ by going through ‘strict decision processes’ for exports.
This latest move away from post-Second World War pacifist policies coincides with a pledge by Tokyo to double military spending by 2027, citing threats posed by China and North Korea.
Government spokesman Yoshimasa Hayashi is quoted as saying: ‘The plan to make fighter jets with capabilities essential for the security of our nation must be realised to ensure that our nation’s defences won’t be compromised.’
In December 2022, Japan joined a UK-Italy collaboration, dubbed the Tempest, to develop a new fighter jet that will use artificial intelligence and advanced sensors to assist pilots. This is Japan’s first defence equipment development partnership with a country other than the US.
The jets are expected to be deployed by 2035.
[Image: Igor Ovsyannykov from Pixabay]