British and Japanese troops have kicked off military drills in
Japan, as the Defence Secretary met his Japanese counterpart
today in London for talks on strengthening defence ties between
the two countries.
In the meeting, Defence Secretary confirmed that the headquarters
for the joint UK, Japan and Italian future fighter jet programme
will be established in Reading, supporting UK jobs and the
government's growth mission.
Exercise Vigilant Isles will see more than 100 UK soldiers from
16 Air Assault Brigade, the British Army's global response force,
train with Japanese Ground Self Defence Forces on the island of
Kyushu. The annual exercise, now in its third year, will increase
interoperability between both countries' forces. The UK is the
only European nation to conduct bilateral military training on
Japanese soil.
The Defence Secretary welcomed the exercise and stressed the
indivisibility between Euro-Atlantic and Indo-Pacific
security in talks with Defence Minister Gen Nakatani. The
two ministers also discussed progress on the Global Combat Air
Programme (GCAP) – a joint initiative between the UK, Japan, and
Italy to develop a next-generation combat aircraft – as well as
the UK Carrier Strike Group's visit to Japan later this year.
Defence Secretary, MP said:
“With increasing instability across the world, it is more
important than ever that we strengthen cooperation with our
international partners like Japan.
“Today, Minister Nakatani and I have highlighted the positive
progress being made on our important next-generation fighter jet
programme, to strengthen our security cooperation.
“There are many miles between our two nations, but the UK and
Japan stand closer together than ever in support of peace and
security across the globe.”
With the recently ratified GCAP Treaty entering into force,
Reading will host the new GCAP headquarters, supporting the
delivery of the cutting-edge stealth fighter jet. The
headquarters, known as the GCAP International Government
Organisation (GIGO) and led by its first Chief Executive Mr Oka
Masami from Japan, will strengthen each country's combat air
industrial capability while achieving value for money.
There are currently more than 3,500 people, including engineers
and programmers, working on GCAP across the UK. In December, BAE
Systems (UK), Leonardo (Italy), and Japan Aircraft Industrial
Enhancement Co Ltd (JAIEC) also signed a Joint Venture Agreement
to create a new company to lead GCAP delivery. The Joint Venture
will also be headquartered in the UK, alongside the GIGO, and
together they will support hundreds of UK jobs. This supports
delivery of the UK Government's Plan for Change, safeguarding
national security while raising living standards across the UK
with skilled jobs which foster economic growth.
Later this year, the UK's Carrier Strike Group will visit Japan
as part of the flagship 2025 Indo-Pacific deployment. The group,
comprised of Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales, her
escorts and her aircraft, will work alongside the Japanese Self
Defence Forces and other partners to help defend peace and
stability in the Indo-Pacific. They will conduct a series of
operations and exercises, including a port visit in
Japan.
This follows the successful deployment of HMS Queen Elizabeth to
the region in 2021, and the Royal Navy boasts
persistently-deployed Offshore Patrol Vessels HMS Tamar and HMS
Spey operating closely with Japan and regional partners to
promote maritime security.
