Japan F-X

The Japanese F-X fighter program (also known as the F-3) began as a Japanese-led program to replace the country's F-2s (scheduled for retirement in 2035). The program was prompted by a U.S. ban on exports of F-22 Raptors in 1997 to safeguard U.S. technology. As a result, Japan’s Ministry of Defense has been researching fighter jet technology since 2009.

However, on Dec. 9, 2022, the governments of Japan, the United Kingdom and Italy announced the Global Combat Air Program, a joint...