The British, Italian and Japanese led Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP) future fighter jet is slated to enter service in 2035 (BAE Systems)
BELFAST — National industry leads behind the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP) have reached an agreement to establish a new joint venture, set to be stood up in mid-2025, to support the “design, development and delivery” of the trilateral next generation fighter jet.
The UK’s BAE Systems said in a company statement today that it had struck the agreement with Italy’s Leonardo and Japan Aircraft Industrial Enhancement (JAIEC), which will act as the “design authority for GCAP for the life of the product.” The manufacturer noted that the era of the future aircraft is “expected” to last “beyond 2070.”
The JV, which does not publicly have a formal name, will serve as the prime contractor for the program, while subcontracting out manufacturing and final assembly of the next generation plane to the British firm, Leonardo, and Japan’s Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, alongside other suppliers. GCAP aims to replace UK Royal Air Force and Italian Air Force Eurofighter Typhoons, as well as Japan Air Self-Defense Force F-2 combat jets. It is slated for entry to service in 2035.
All three partners will retain an equal 33.3 percent shareholding in the JV and it will be headquartered in the UK, in order to “ensure maximum alignment and collaboration with the GCAP International Government Organisation (GIGO),” which is also due to be based in the region. Joint teams from the JV will also work in each of the three GCAP partner nations.
“The [JV] agreement builds on the strong trilateral government, defence, and industrial cooperation between the UK, Japan, and Italy on GCAP since it was established in December 2022,” added BAE.
Charles Woodburn, BAE Systems CEO said of the JV agreement, “The new business will bring together the significant strengths and expertise of the companies involved to create an innovative organisation that will lead the way in developing a next generation combat air system, creating long-term, high value and skilled jobs across the partner nations for decades to come.”
Roberto Cingolani, Leonardo CEO, echoed such sentiment, stating, “Today, we are paving the way for the development of a new era in Aircraft Systems and Multi-domain scenarios, fostering long-term sustainable growth for the economies of the involved countries.”
Kimito Nakae, JAIEC President, added, “As we now embark upon the exciting and important journey towards the success of GCAP, I acknowledge that the way might not always be simple and straightforward. However, I believe that through continuing the strong spirit of trilateral cooperation and collaboration that we have fostered up to this point, we will not only deliver the GCAP on time but also at a level that exceeds all of our expectations.”
The JV progress comes five months after the GCAP partners unveiled a new concept of the future crewed fighter jet, based around a conventional delta wing shape and featuring increased wingspan compared to previous iterations.
The development phase of the aircraft, which is expected to operate alongside autonomous collaborative platforms or adjunct aircraft, similar to US Air Force Collaborative Combat Aircraft, is also slated to begin next year.
Earlier this week, Breaking Defense reported that the UK’s Excalibur flight test aircraft (a modified Boeing 757) had successfully completed its first phase of modification and flight testing, including integration of side and belly pods to accommodate Integrated Sensors, Non-Kinetic Effects (ISANKE) and Integrated Communications Systems (ICS) as part of Tempest — Britain’s name for the GCAP jet.
With a heavy focus on assessing Electronic Warfare capabilities, Excalibur essentially serves as a testbed for new technology that could eventually be fitted on the future fighter. Though GCAP partners have been briefed about its progress, they are not, strictly speaking, part of the effort.
Even so, the “expectation is that if they choose to work with us in the next phase, as the Team Tempest activity concludes, it would logically transition to GCAP,” said Andrew Howard, Leonardo UK’s director for GCAP.
