In stark contrast to its previous pacifist posture, Japan is rapidly boosting its military might in the face of growing security challenges from China.
Japan is co-developing its next-generation fighter jet and CCA drone with the United Kingdom and Italy under the ‘Global Combat Air Program’ (GCAP).
Given that all three members have ratified the GCAP treaty, which formally establishes the GCAP International Government Organization (GIGO), an organization tasked with managing the industrial framework, setting capability requirements, and supervising the development of the next-generation fighter jet, the project is catching pace. Japan’s Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Italy’s Leonardo, and Britain’s BAE Systems lead the project as system integrators.
A Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) spokesperson recently stated that Japan and Britain are also investing in the design and development of Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) to add a multi-mission capability to the program.
The GCAP is expected to have enhanced sensors, AI-powered networked data systems, and manned fighter aircraft supplemented by unmanned “adjuncts,” like drones.
Notably, the recent statement comes weeks after Japan’s MHI unveiled concept designs for Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) at the International Aerospace Exhibition 2024.
MHI unveiled two different models for CCA. One was an ‘expendable ISR variant’ called the Affordable Rapid Prototype Missile Drone Concept (ARMDC-20X), which would detect, identify, and communicate threats to the crewed next-generation aircraft.
The other CCA was a ‘tactical combat variant’ that has not been named yet. MHI displayed a 1:10-scale model of the tactical combat CCA featuring an internal payload compartment.
Furthermore, the Japanese firm produced a video demonstrating two CCAs operating alongside a next-generation crewed fighter jet, which had remarkable similarities with the GCAP concept aircraft.
A few seconds into the video, an unmanned aircraft is seen detecting a “threat aircraft”—a Chinese J-20-like platform. Immediately after detection, the CCA relays information to the manned fighter through the data link. Then, the fighter directs the combat CCA to destroy the hostile aircraft using an air-to-air missile fired from its internal weapons bay.
At the time, MHI clarified that these loyal wingman drone models on exhibit were not the final design as the CCA project was still in its conceptual stage.
However, by 2035, when the first GCAP aircraft enters service, MHI expects to have a fully operational version of these autonomous systems. The comments suggest that work on CCA is now taking place on a war footing.
Having said that, this is one of the latest examples of Japan’s expanding offensive combat capability, a prospect once unthinkable for Japan. In fact, Tokyo is now making all-around efforts to zoom ahead of its rivals in the Indo-Pacific region, signaling a military resurgence for the land of the rising sun.
Japan Is Mounting A Military Challenge To China
Japan’s development of next-generation combat aircraft is believed to be part of a broader attempt to leverage novel technology to counterbalance air power dynamics in the region, particularly due to rising tensions with China.
Tokyo is also concerned that it may eventually be drawn into an Indo-Pacific conflict triggered by China’s invasion of Taiwan.
China is also developing a next-generation fighter jet. In fact, China debuted a mock-up of its sixth-generation fighter at the China Air Show in Zhuhai last month.
Referred to as the “Baidi” or “White Emperor,” the fighter jet is intended to be an “integrated space-air fighter” that can fly at supersonic speeds and escape out of Earth’s atmosphere to function in space.
However, as the EurAsian Times explained earlier, the GCAP is expected to surpass all other sixth-generation fighter programs, including the US Next-Generation Air Dominance (NGAD), the Franco-German Future Combat Air System (FCAS), and the Chinese Baidi. Thus, Japan could gain an unprecedented advantage in the region.
Japan’s military modernization is not limited to the GCAP. The country has also purchased two F-35 Lightning II stealth aircraft variants from Lockheed Martin: the F-35A and the F-35B. To counter-balance China’s burgeoning naval might, Japan is also working to convert its Izumo-class helicopter carriers into aircraft carriers capable of operating the F-35 STOVL variant.
For Japan, China’s increased military activity in the East China Sea and Taiwan Strait makes carrier operations with cutting-edge fighter jets more necessary.
In addition, Japan has launched a sustained effort to increase its firepower. For instance, it recently placed a fourth follow-on order for a fifth-generation stealth air-to-surface land attack cruise missile called ‘Joint Strike Missile (JSM), which will be carried by the F-35A.
The stealth-on-stealth combination of F-35A and JSM would allow Japan to penetrate China’s sophisticated Anti Access/Area Denial (A2/AD) system along its coastline. The missile could give Japan a first-strike advantage in the contested Indo-Pacific without being detected by enemy air defenses.
Japan is also acquiring the Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile Extended Range (JASSM-ER) and related equipment, as well as 400 Tomahawk sea-launched cruise missiles from Washington. It is also developing its own long-range missiles.
In addition to these offensive weapons, Japan is also investing in cutting-edge drones to monitor its expansive maritime domain. It recently announced a possible acquisition of MQ-9B SeaGuardian drones, which will be responsible for conducting ISR operations over the country.
These purchases indicate that Japan is preparing for modern warfare. In the past, Japan had focused primarily on modernizing and strengthening its land Self-Defense Forces, believing that the USSR’s ground invasion of Hokkaido posed the greatest threat to the country. But now that China is its main competitor, the focus is clearly on air and sea defense systems with second-strike potential.
The country is also exploring the possibility of acquiring the Aegis class destroyers, more advanced patrol airplanes, and submarines, which can support the Maritime Self-Defense Force.
Besides developing a next-generation fighter with the UK and Italy, Japan is also working with its age-old ally, the United States, on developing a missile capable of intercepting hypersonic missiles. This comes amid China amassing a large arsenal of lethal hypersonic weapons, including the DF-17, YJ-21, and DF-27.
In FY 2025, Japan allocated over US$58 billion for defense, its highest budgetary allocation to defense to date. Tokyo hopes to use this to execute the strategies laid out in the Japan Defense White Paper and its Defense Buildup program released earlier this year. This aims to better equip Japan to defend itself and its neighboring Indo-Pacific nations.
In recent weeks, Japan has faced Chinese intrusions by boats and aircraft in different parts, ratcheting up tensions between the two states. These incidents have further encouraged the country to add more capability and mount a challenge big enough to deter a mighty and aggressive People’s Liberation Army.
Japan’s Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba recently reiterated his country’s resolve to carry out a military build-up, noting that growing tensions with China, Russia, and North Korea had drastically worsened the security situation around Japan.
However, with all these military modernization plans, Japan is on course to become a country that could mount the biggest military challenge to China in Asia.
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