Thursday 14 December, the Chief of Staff of the Air Force, Air Squad General Luca Goretti, and the Chief of Staff of the Japan Air Self-Defense Force, General Hiroaki Uchikura signed in Tokyo, at the Japanese Ministry of Defence, a Technical Arrangement for the conduct of joint and reciprocal air-to-air refuelling activities for the aircraft of the two air forces.
The agreement, which stems from the technical-operational need to safeguard safety for the conduct of operations of Air-to-Air Refuelling applying the relevant NATO standards.
These activities fall within the scope of the broader collaboration between Italy and Japan, which also include the agreement between Italian Air Force and Japan Air Self-Defense Force for the training of Japanese pilots at the’International Flight Training School (IFTS) at the Decimomannu (CA) base.
The signing of this Agreement constitutes a further signal of strengthening of cooperative relations between the two air forces and the two countries that share spaces and orientations, and also takes on high strategic importance, considering also the changed geopolitical scenario in which global stability requires a joint commitment to security and defence.
One of the pillars of the defence relationship between Italy and Japan is confirmed by the intensification of political dialogue and the participation – together with the United Kingdom – in the GCAP next-generation fighter development programme (Global Combat Air Programme), made official at the same time in Tokyo by the Defence Minister Guido Crosetto, alongside his counterparts from Japan and the United Kingdom, for the launch of the project conceived for the development and construction of the fighter jet of the future, with the sixth-generation supersonic jet destined to replace the current Eurofighter Typhoon.
English version
Technical Arrangement for the conduct of joint and mutual air-to-air refuelling activities between JASDF and ITAF
On Thursday 14 December, the Chief of Staff of the Italian Air Force, Lieutenant General Luca Goretti, and the Chief of Staff of the Japan Air Self-Defense Force, General Hiroaki Uchikura signed in Tokyo, at the Japanese Ministry of Defense, a Technical Arrangement for the conduct of joint and mutual air-to-air refuelling activities between the two air forces.
The agreement, which stems from the technical-operational need to grant safety for the conduct of Air-to-Air Refuelling operations by applying the discipline of the relevant NATO standards.
These activities fall within the scope of the broader cooperation relationships between Italy and Japan, which also include the agreement between the Air Force and the Japan Air Self-Defense Force for the training of Japanese pilots at the International Flight Training School (IFTS) at Decimomannu airbase.
The signing of this Agreement represents a further signal of the strengthening of cooperation relations between the two air forces and the two countries that share spaces and orientations, and also assume a high strategic value, also considering the changed geopolitical scenario, wherein global stability requires a joint commitment to security and defence.
One of the pillars of the relationship between Italy and Japan in the defence sector is confirmed by the intensification of political dialogue and the participation – together with the United Kingdom – in the GCAP next-generation fighter development programme (Global Combat Air Programme), made official in Tokyo by the Minister of Defence Guido Crosetto, at the same time as his counterparts from Japan and the United Kingdom, for the launch of the project designed for the development and construction of the fighter of the future, with the sixth generation supersonic jet meant to replace the current Eurofighter Typhoon.
