Nikkei took up remarks made to the press this morning by Defense Minister Kishi, who disclosed that he has obtained assurances from Mitsubishi Heavy Industries that it remains committed to developing a next generation jet fighter for the ASDF. The ministry reportedly asked the defense contractor about its plans to produce the new aircraft that will replace the aging F-2 following its decision to give up on developing its SpaceJet passenger plane on account of the global slump in air travel triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic.