Japan's Defense Ministry says its next-generation fighter jet will be a multirole combat aircraft that can be used for a wide variety of missions, such as striking enemy vessels and ground targets, as well as air-to-air defense.

Japan, Britain and Italy have decided to jointly develop the jet. The aircraft is expected to have capabilities superior to those of the state-of-the-art F-35 and the Eurofighter.

The jet will feature high-performance stealth capabilities and high-powered radar. It will also be capable of so-called "cloud shooting," in which a fleet of fighters connected with a network can locate and analyze enemy aircraft and attack them in coordination.

Images of the jet unveiled by the ministry show that its exterior is designed to be as flat as possible, to minimize surface area and avoid detection by radar.

The ministry plans to develop the plane's "source code," or software for operations, jointly with Britain and Italy, so that its functions can be upgraded even after deployment.

The three countries aim to start initial planning in 2023 and work on the basic design as early as 2024, after they determine such specifics as how to divide up tasks and where to locate development bases.

After conducting experimental flights, the countries hope to start production around 2030 and begin deployment by 2035, when Japan's fleet of F-2 fighters is scheduled to begin retiring.

The ministry says the jet has yet to be named.

Companies taking part in the project from Japan are Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, IHI and Mitsubishi Electric. They will team up with Britain's Rolls Royce and BAE Systems and Italy's Leonardo and Avio Aero.