Decision of Exporting Fighter Jets

Fumio Kishida administration decided to enable Japan to export next-generation fighter jets to foreign countries. A joint program with United Kingdom and Italy encouraged Japan to step forward to further international cooperation through sharing military equipment. Although Japan has strictly been prohibiting export of lethal weapons, new policy may gradually change Japan’s position as a pacific country.

Kishida administration revised last December the Three Principles on Transfer of Defense Equipment and Technology, decided by Shinzo Abe administration in 2014. Although the principles limited overseas transfer of defense equipment not to violate treaties or not to be handed to a country in conflict, Kishida expanded the destination to the country with which Japan has a license to produce the defense equipment.

 

Japan participated in a joint project to develop next generation fighter jet with UK and Italy since 2022. The government of Japan hoped to export those fighter jets to other countries than UK and Italy, in order to reduce the cost for development. However, the coalition partner of leading Liberal Democratic Party, Komeito, has been reluctant to allow export to all over the world. Komeito insisted on its identity as “party of peace.”

 

The leading coalition, Liberal Democratic Party and Komeito, finally agreed on exporting fighter jets to not only the countries with license but a third party in mid-March. The Agreement included three limitations: limited to fighter jets, limited to a country with agreement for transferring defense equipment and technology, and limited to a country which is not waging battle in a military conflict.

 

The agreement also required two kinds of cabinet decisions. One is to expand exports to the countries without license for production. Another is requirement of cabinet decision every time the government decides to export. In the discussion at the Diet, Prime Minister Kishida explained those “three limitations and two cabinet decisions” as a strict rule for exporting defense equipment to the world.

 

However, it is questioned whether the rule really work for Japan to maintain its reputation as a country of pacifism. Japan has been sharing the agreement for transferring defense equipment and technology with fifteen countries, including United States, France Australia, India or some countries in ASEAN. But Japan can increase countries with that agreement anywhere in the world as far as they are not involved in a conflict. Cabinet decision does not require any approval of the Diet, anyway.

 

The limitation in fighter jet can be revised by establishing new cabinet decision. Some newspapers argue that new policy for exporting fighter jets may encourage regional conflicts, possibly contradicting Article 9 of Constitution of Japan. “Aspiring sincerely to an international peace and based on justice and order, the Japanese people forever renounce war as a sovereign right of the nation and the threat or use of force as means of settling international disputes,” says Article 9.