There is a strong push to bring forward the entry into service of the Global Combat Air Programme’s sixth-generation fighter by around two years, and doing so is feasible provided the initial version enters service more gradually, according to Leonardo’s chief executive.

Speaking on the Italian group’s first-half results call on Thursday, Lorenzo Mariani said the pressure to accelerate GCAP was coming from ministerial level and was justified. “It’s true that there is quite a strong push to bring forward the first entry into service of GCAP, that was initially stated, that still stated, 2035, closer by a couple of years,” he said.

Mariani said the argument for moving faster had been “motivated correctly, in my view, by the urgency of having such multi-domain system starting to operate as as quickly as possible, as early as possible.”

Asked whether that was industrially realistic, he said it was, but with a caveat about what the aircraft would be able to do on day one. It was feasible “by making that entry into service even more gradual than it was supposed to be, so probably modulating the requirements that this initial version will fulfil,” he said, adding that “it’s always possible to be progressively meeting the final requirement, as it has always been the case in such complex programmes.”

GCAP is the trilateral programme between the UK, Italy and Japan to field a sixth-generation combat aircraft to replace the Eurofighter Typhoon and Japan’s F-2, with an in-service target of 2035. It is delivered through Edgewing, the joint venture formed by BAE Systems, Leonardo and Japan Aircraft Industrial Enhancement Co, which contracts to the trilateral government organisation GIGO, headquartered in the UK. Reports from the Farnborough International Airshow this month suggested Japan, and possibly Italy, were pressing for an earlier date.

Mariani was also asked about remarks by BAE Systems chief executive Charles Woodburn, who said a day earlier that the window for bringing an additional partner nation into GCAP was closing if the 2035 target is to hold. Mariani agreed. “I fully agree with what my friend Charles said. The window is closing, because otherwise confidence in timescales will be lost. This is the main reason,” he said.

He acknowledged a competing argument, specifically, “Then, to be really honest, one should think if there is a point in losing some time now to reach a more stable and more healthy consortium, and then maybe gain time in the second part of the development,” he said, “but I recognise that normally decisions are taken on what we have on the table today. So yes, the window will close very soon.”

Germany has been the country most frequently linked with a possible expansion of the programme. Saudi Arabia has also been discussed as a prospective partner, with the UK signalling interest in Riyadh’s involvement, and Canada has now joined as an observer. Mariani described that development as a positive indicator, noting that “an additional observer has been added with Canada, who has requested to be part of the programme, and for the moment will be an observer. That is a very good sign for the follow-on of the programme.”

On progress to date, Mariani pointed to the first major international contract signed between GIGO and Edgewing, which BAE Systems this week valued in excess of £5 billion across the joint venture, covering completion of the advanced concept and assessment phase and further joint detailed design and development work.

The comments came alongside first-half results the group described as an outstanding performance. Chief financial officer Giuseppe Aurelio reported orders up around 40% year on year to roughly €16 billion, revenues up 10%, return on sales rising 110 basis points to 7.6% and net income up 74%. Leonardo upgraded its full-year guidance, raising expected orders to €28.2 billion and EBITA to €2.21 billion, which Aurelio said would make the company a double-digit margin business in 2026, a year earlier than planned.