Britain and Japan have reaffirmed their commitment to the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP), pledging to accelerate progress on the next-generation fighter project.
A joint ministerial statement issued in Tokyo highlighted the strengthening operational ties between the Royal Air Force and the Japan Air Self-Defense Force.
It noted their joint work during Operation Highmast and ongoing interoperability efforts in preparation for GCAP. The statement added: “The Ministers welcomed the future deployment to Europe, including the UK, by Japanese fighter aircraft and supporting transport aircraft.”
On GCAP, the statement made clear that both governments are intent on speeding up delivery: “Recognising the significance of the GCAP, the Ministers reaffirmed their personal commitment to it and to accelerating work to conclude the first international contract between the GCAP International Government Organisation (GIGO) and industry joint venture, Edgewing, by the end of 2025. This will be the first contract to set both entities to work together to support capable, affordable and timely programme delivery by 2035.”
The ministers also stressed the economic and industrial importance of the programme. They underlined that GCAP will support “growth and productivity, sustaining high-skilled jobs, and acting as catalysts for investment in research and development.”
The joint statement further emphasised the importance of sustaining the aerospace sectors in both countries while exploiting emerging technologies to address future threats and safeguard critical industries.
The renewed commitment to GCAP follows a series of UK–Japan defence milestones this year, including the planned deployment of Japanese F-15s to Europe and the first-ever landing of British F-35Bs on the Japanese carrier JS Kaga.
I hope the artists impression is broadly correct ie that it is twin-engined.
It will definitely be twin-engined, and pretty bloody huge by all measures. It’s supposed to have an exceptionally long range and will need a large weapons bay for ever longer-ranged air-to-air missiles and internal carriage of large air-to-ground weapons, so it will blur the line between fighter and bomber.
Hope that is all correct. One of the big mistakes many Western air forces made after the cold war supposedly ended was to divest themselves of long range strike capabilities, RAF included. The USN also made the same mistake. Geopoltical trends are now clearly signalling the urgent need for longer aircraft strike radius than is available from F35, Typhoon etc, and I guess B21 will be limited to the USAF.
Resembling a Gloster Javelin for our times – but hopefully not a Gloster Javelin for our times!
It’s almost a Javelin/TSR2.
What could possibly go wrong ?
I was think more like a modern equivalent to the Mosquito, a true do-it-all aircraft.
Agreed.
Yes I hope we don’t Fanny around like the Americans with a tailless design that triples the cost and turns it into a slow moving bomb truck.
If Lockheed wants to call that 5.5 Gen then so be it, we need evolution not revolution and it needs to be affordable and exportable.
The F-47 is an air superiority fighter not a “bomb truck”. And since you have absolutely no access to any information about the F-47 and its costs or attributes, provide justification that a tailless design “triples the cost.” Once again all you are good for is uninformed, knee jerk anti-American comments. Grow up.
Hey Jim, looks like you upset David Lloyd’s American Cousin !!!
👀😁
Perhaps the UK’s Armed Forces wouldn’t be in such a mess and ineffectual if you Brits got upset at yourselves.
I read nothing in the comment to suggest “Anti-American” but rather his opposition to Tailless designs.
Then you don’t follow his comments. Try it, you might learn something.
Jet design reach it’s pinicle with Fifefox.
Just make that.
*Fifefox* ahh, that Scottish wonder plane !
Brilliant news thanks.
If that involves Starmer’s UK spending more money, it ain’t gonna happen.
Depends really on what he spends it on doesn’t it? Seems not to have any problem whatsoever in some things😉
Ok that is good news, my only question is numbers. How many will the Government be looking at buying and what will the unit cost be.
That’s two questions !
It’ll be known several years down the line and then halved soon after.
Not many.
But that is not the primary driver here.
Keeping the UK aviation industry going, high tech jobs, and money channelled to the MIC are the main aims.
The RAF will get what it gets. My bet would be way, way less than 100.
It’s nice to have a development partner (Japan) pushing us to go faster, normally in Europe it’s the other way round with the Europeans dragging their feat.
With the UK arguably having the second most 5th gen design experience of any country and Japan’s prolific manufacturing and electronics industry this could be a mirage made in heaven. The Italians bring a lot to the party as a small pattern as well.
Hope you mean marriage and not mirage or even Mirage!
Agree Japans commitment is crucial to success of Tempest. Without the Japan Tempest would probably collapse in a couple of years . Let’s hope UK can keep face and stay in the project as I am sure there will be politicians over the next 10 years who would gladly s rap this project to spend on welfare with zero return , or scrap to buy USA
Tempest has Huge sales potential and given the protracted if not stalled US and Franco German efforts, Tempest could be just about be the Worlds best seller.
Any Government looking to scrap Tempest would be Insane.
We just ignoring the Chinese and the Russians? The Turkish? Even the Koreans?
The only way to accelerate it is to throw more money at it. I won’t hold my breath!