In a significant departure from its postwar pacifist stance, Japan’s Cabinet has given the green light to a plan aimed at selling future next-generation fighter jets developed in collaboration with Britain and Italy to other countries.

This decision marks a notable shift in Japan’s defense strategy, emphasizing its willingness to engage in international arms sales and bolster its role in global security. By allowing international sales of these advanced aircraft, Japan aims to enhance its technological edge in the face of escalating regional tensions, particularly from neighboring China and Russia.

Accompanying this decision is a revision to Japan’s arms equipment and technology transfer guidelines, permitting the sale of co-produced lethal weapons to countries beyond the project’s partners. However, Tokyo emphasizes that, for the time being, exports of such weaponry will be restricted solely to the new fighter jets, slated for deployment by 2035.

Japan’s move towards arms exports, which was formerly restricted by its pacifist constitution, is a reflection of the increased urgency with which it must address threats to regional and international security, especially those posed by China. The proposed fighter jet is expected to give Japan the cutting-edge capabilities it needs to manage the rising tensions in the area and put it in a competitive position in relation to adversaries like China and Russia.

The collaborative effort with Italy and Britain aims to develop an advanced fighter aircraft, slated to replace Japan’s aging fleet of F-2 fighters and the Eurofighter Typhoons utilized by its allies. However, this strategic move isn’t devoid of historical context. Japan’s wartime past as an aggressor, coupled with the devastation of World War II, has long shaped its constitutional limitations on military activities and arms exports.

The Japanese government has pledged to restrict the export of deadly weapons produced in collaboration with other parties, limiting sales to recently built fighter jets, in an effort to calm fears arising from its military past. Moreover, promises have been given that these weapons  will not be deployed in active conflict zones.