Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi underscored growing defence collaboration with the UK during a Sunday meeting with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, as questions linger over a next-generation fighter jet initiative.
"The UK is a very important partner to Japan given the deepening of ties across a wide range of fields, including security and defence," Takaichi stated during her London talks with Starmer. "Given the GCAP project, I think we have reached a level that we can call a near-alliance," she remarked, expressing a desire to advance bilateral relations further with Starmer.
"I'm really pleased that today we can reconfirm our deep commitment in relation to GCAP," Starmer told Takaichi.
The remarks regarding GCAP, or Global Combat Air Programme—a trilateral effort involving the UK, Japan, and Italy to produce a next-generation fighter jet by 2035—come amid obstacles for the project, including delays in Britain's financial commitments and uncertainty following the resignation of UK Defence Secretary John Healey, a key advocate of the initiative, on Thursday.
Starmer and Takaichi were anticipated to address the launch of the project's next phase via an international contract slated for signing this month, according to a British government statement released before the meeting. The statement did not specify the amount of funding involved.
The commitment to finalize the international contract by the end of June would indicate ongoing dedication, though the contract's duration remained unclear. While a temporary agreement lasting through June was signed in April to sustain the project, no long-term contract has emerged.
Britain had planned to announce billions of pounds for GCAP in late 2025 as part of its 10-year defence investment strategy, but this was delayed by several months due to a funding dispute between the UK defence ministry and the Treasury.