A Global Combat Air Program (GCAP) core vehicle concept on display at DSEI, London (Breaking Defense)
LONDON — There is no set timeline to decide whether or how Saudi Arabia could join into the multinational Global Combat Air Program (GCAP), though a “feasibility study” due next year could set the parameters for further discussion, the top UK official in the program told Breaking Defense today.
The Gulf monarchy purportedly requested to join the next-gen fighter program in August, a move that reports said was supported by the British government. But today Richard Berthon, director of UK future combat air at the British Ministry of Defence, sounded circumspect about the potential.
“When decisions are made [on Saudi Arabia joining GCAP] or when that comes together has not been decided,” he said in an interview. “Clearly these discussions are on going, but there isn’t a sort of definitive [timeline] about when decisions are [due to be] made at the moment.”
FULL COVERAGE: Breaking Defense at DSEI 2023
He added that a feasibility study with Saudi Arabia will first have to be concluded, at the earliest in the first quarter of 2024, so a “maturity of understanding” can be reached between both sides. Once the study wraps up, enough evidence will have been gathered to further influence “what all the [national] partners want,” said Berthon.
Speaking ahead of DSEI, a British defense official speaking on background stated he believes the Saudis “will be part of GCAP in due course.”
That official added, “I think, from a UK point of view, the expectation, and the hope is that, that’s the direction that we will go in,” before stressing there is some time to go before it gets there and stating the UK is hopeful more Eurofighter Typhoons can be sold to strengthen that relationship.
The feasibility study was first announced by the UK MoD in March 2023 after it was forced to dispute a social media statement by Saudi Arabia minister of defense Khalid bin Salman in which he stated Riyadh was participating in the Future Combat Air System (FCAS) program. FCAS is a different multi-national next-gen fighter program, relying primarily on British industry and military tech. In August the Financial Times reported Saudi Arabia’s push for inclusion in GCAP.
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Berthon did not comment on what potential industrial contribution Saudi Arabia could make to the sixth generation project but said that the immediate focus for all partner nations, which officially includes the UK, Italy and Japan, is working toward the launch of a joint development phase in 2025.
Representatives from the UK, Italian and Japanese ministries of defense will also take part in the third GCAP defense ministers meeting in London on Wednesday and which will build on past discussions around “system definition concepting and building industry and government teams” to prepare for the joint development phase, added Berthon.
The long-term ambition of fielding an operationally ready GCAP jet in 2035 remains, with Berthon expressing confidence that the timeline will be met but that “very rapid work” at a design level still lies ahead.
The GCAP platform has been lined up to replace UK and Italian Eurofighter Typhoons and Mitsubishi F-2 aircraft for Japan. The core vehicle will be equipped with new weapons and supported by adjunct uncrewed platforms — similar to the plan for the American NGAD fighter program.
Berthon confirmed that industry partners are still defining the design of the core vehicle. Once that is achieved, “that’ll give us the evidence to really work out what the schedule looks like in the joint program,” according to Berthon.
The start of the joint development phase will follow on from the UK’s concept and assessment phase which has so far been used to guide program “decision making and analysis,” he said.
Referring specifically to a deepening military relationship between Britain and Japan, Jim Hockenhull, commander of UK strategic command, told an audience at DSEI that GCAP represents a “significant step” in the partnership.
“Of course… how do we create the environment where we can work seamlessly together across international boundaries, to operate complex programmes like GCAP, which is as much a digital program as it is an air one, and how do we make sure that we can truly collaborate in really sensitive areas with the Japanese where they can trust us with their most sensitive data, [and] we can trust them with ours?” he asked.
