UK and Japan announce tech partnership, promising fighter jet progress

The leaders of Britain announced on Sunday a tech partnership designed to increase national security and to create jobs. They also pledged to speed up the development of their 'next-generation fighter jet GCAP.

On Sunday, the Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi met with British Prime Minister Keir starmer and a group business leaders in London to discuss ways of deepening cooperation in various areas, including technology, green energy, and defence.

Takaichi stated that the two countries have a strong relationship based on deep security ties. This is in addition to the announcements of?totalling PS18billion ($24billion) for infrastructure, financial services, and wind power.

She said, "We have decided to accelerate the progress of the Global Combat Air Program GCAP which is the cornerstone for our security cooperation", through a translation.

GCAP is an attempt to build a new-generation fighter that will be developed by a joint venture between?Britain’s BAE Systems and Italy’s Leonardo, backed by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries.

Starmer's Government, which is in a dispute about the need to spend even more on defense, said that the two leaders will confirm their commitment to the project, and discuss the next phase. A contract with an international company should be signed before the end of this month.

Starmer, who could face a leadership challenge within the next few months, and Takaichi announced a number of projects that they claimed would build cooperation between them in such areas as AI, quantum computing, and cybersecurity.

The partnership includes export deals, manufacturing tie-ups, and research projects with some of the largest corporate names from Britain and Japan, such as Rolls-Royce and BAE.

Starmer stated that "these landmark agreements will bring multibillion-pound investment to the UK, creating new jobs and driving development." $1 = 0.7459 pounds (Reporting and editing by Emelia Sithole Matarise and Helen Popper; Sam Tabahriti, Kate Holton)

(source: Reuters)