Japan to invest $123.5m to develop air-to-air missile for sixth-generation fighter jet

Japan will spend more than $100 million to develop an air-to-air missile for the sixth-generation fighter jet. Work will begin in fiscal year 2024.

Here's What We Know

The new missile is currently known as the AAM (air-to-air missile). It will be built for the sixth-generation fighter jet, which is being developed under the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP) with the UK and Italy.

The country of the rising sun intends to invest $123.5 million in the development of the new missile, according to representatives of the Japanese Ministry of Defence and the Acquisition, Technology & Logistics Agency.

The AAM will be a development of the JNAAM (Joint New AAM) project, which was launched in 2014. The aim of the programme was to develop an air-to-air missile with active radar guidance and a lethal warhead.

Japan originally planned to start testing the JNAAM in 2022. For this, the budget allocated nearly $2.35 million for 2022. However, the Ministry of Defence said the advanced missile will not move into the testing phase.

Source: Janes