Japan and the United Arab Emirates have reached an agreement on defense equipment and technology transfers, according to Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs late Thursday, paving the way for cooperation research, development, and manufacture.
While Tokyo has signed a number of similar bilateral agreements, including with the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia, the ruling Liberal Democratic Party is exploring easing the severe constraints on Japanese arms exports in general.
According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, the UAE is the world’s 11th largest weaponry importer. The arrangement comes as Japan collaborates with the United Kingdom and Italy on a next-generation fighter aircraft that will most likely be sold outside of the three countries.