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Britain will work to develop next-generation fighter jets with Italy and Japan, Rishi Sunak has announced.
The prime minister said the defence partnership will ensure the UK and allies are “outpacing and outmanoeuvring those who seek to do us harm”.
Downing Street aims for the jets, called Tempest in the UK, to take to the skies by 2035 and serve as a successor to the Typhoon.
The ambition is for the planes developed under the global combat air programme (GCAP) to be enhanced by capabilities including uncrewed aircraft, advanced sensors and cutting-edge weapons.
They are being developed in response to military chiefs’ fears that air dominance is being threatened.
Sunak will launch the first major phase of the programme during a visit to RAF Coningsby in Lincolnshire on Friday.
Before the visit, he said: “The security of the United Kingdom, both today and for future generations, will always be of paramount importance to this government. That’s why we need to stay at the cutting edge of advancements in defence technology – outpacing and outmanoeuvring those who seek to do us harm.
