That are the odds that this will lead to the JSDF buying Meteor?
Japan, Britain To Launch Joint Missile Research
TOKYO — Japan said Thursday it would join forces with Britain to jointly develop missile technology for fighter jets, while also moving to export Japanese-made parts for US surface-to-air missiles.
The decision comes several months after Japan lifted a self-imposed ban on weapons exports, as Prime Minister Shinzo Abe looks to expand Japan’s diplomatic and military presence on the global stage. The exports would be the first since Japan in April approved a new policy that replaces its 1967 blanket ban on shipping arms overseas.
The joint research with Britain was linked to a European missile project called Meteor, with an initial emphasis on how current Japanese technology could enhance British-developed missiles, according to a statement jointly issued by several ministries, including Japan’s foreign and defense ministries. The Meteor project, which is developing missiles for Eurofighter planes, is being led by Franco-British missile maker Matra BAe Dynamics (MBD) along with other European firms.
“We believe that we can create more sophisticated products by bringing together the finest technologies from both Britain and Japan,” a Japanese defense official told a press briefing Thursday evening........