The Japanese ruling coalition, consisting of the Liberal Democratic Party and its pacifist junior partner, Komeito, is navigating the contentious issue of permitting exports of next-generation fighter jets developed jointly with Britain and Italy. Komeito is striving not to appear as merely following the LDP's agenda of exporting advanced fighter jets and other defense equipment.
In a meeting held on March 8, the policy chiefs from both parties agreed to work towards a resolution by the end of the month. Discussions are honing in on the specifics of the conditions that will be imposed for exporting the joint fighter jets, showing that both parties are actively engaged in negotiating terms that address concerns on this sensitive matter. This includes potential limits on the types of defense equipment that can be exported, with a focus on solely permitting the export of the jointly developed fighter jets and not extending to a broader range of defense technology.
Furthermore, considerations regarding the export destinations for these fighter jets are being carefully weighed. It is being proposed that the jets should not be sent to countries currently involved in military conflicts. Instead, the export would be limited to nations that have bilateral agreements with Japan concerning defense equipment trade. To ensure accountability and transparency, a more stringent decision-making process is being contemplated for future instances where exporting the fighter jets is under consideration, indicating a commitment to responsible handling of such sensitive exports.