The defense chiefs of Japan, Britain, and Italy on Saturday agreed to accelerate their planned joint development of a next-generation fighter jet, Japanese officials said.

Meeting in Naples, southern Italy, the three ministers also confirmed that the public and private sectors will conclude their first contract as early as next year toward the goal of deploying the plane by 2035, according to Japan's Defense Ministry.

Japanese Defense Minister Gen Nakatani and his British and Italian counterparts, John Healey and Guido Crosetto, met on the sidelines of the Group of Seven industrialized nations' first-ever ministerial meeting in the field of defense.

With a Japanese set to lead the international organization that will manage the project, called the Global Combat Air Program, Nakatani said after the gathering that he plans to appoint Masami Oka, former vice minister of defense for international affairs, to the post.

The organization, called GCAP International Government Organization, dubbed GIGO, is expected to be established in Britain later this year.

The ministers also noted the progress made in setting up a private-sector joint venture to facilitate the fighter jet development.

Japan's Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd., Britain's BAE Systems plc, and Italy's Leonardo S.p.A. will be the companies mainly responsible for the development.

The three-way fighter jet plan reflects closer security cooperation between Japan and European countries in recent years amid China's growing military assertiveness in the Indo-Pacific region and Russia's invasion of Ukraine since February 2022.

Nakatani was appointed defense minister by new Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, who took office on Oct. 1.