Japan, U.K. and Italy to invite Saudi Arabia to next-gen fighter project

Japan, the U.K. and Italy are in talks to bring Saudi Arabia into their next-generation fighter jet development program, Japanese and British sources told Nikkei. The three countries hope to tap into the kingdom’s substantial financial resources, while the Saudis hopes to foster their domestic defense industry.

The Middle Eastern kingdom is expected to join as a “partner,” rather than as equal party to the treaty-bound trio.