The UK Government has reaffirmed its commitment to the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP), ensuring the development of its next-generation stealth jet remains on track despite ongoing defence reviews.
A Defence Committee session revealed the UK Government’s steadfast commitment to the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP), a key trilateral initiative with Italy and Japan aimed at developing next-generation air combat capabilities.
Defence Secretary John Healey reassured the Committee of the Government’s dedication to the programme, stating, “We are committed to it. It is a really important programme.” He emphasised that maintaining momentum in GCAP has been a personal priority during his first four months in office.
Healey highlighted recent progress, including treaty advancements and organisational milestones: “I have had a number of meetings with my Italian and Japanese counterparts. The areas that I have been most concerned to maintain momentum in have been the completion and passage of the treaties through all three Parliaments… and maintaining the work with the three leading companies to set up a formal joint venture. I expect that to be in place before Christmas as well.”
These efforts, he added, form the “essential foundations” for the programme and demonstrate the Government’s commitment to its successful delivery.
Healey underscored the strategic importance of GCAP both as a response to emerging threats and as a pillar of the UK’s industrial base.
“It is fundamental to our industrial base in this country and to maintaining what has been for decades world-leading global air combat capability and technology in Britain,” he said.
Lieutenant General Sir Rob Magowan echoed this sentiment, stressing that GCAP will replace the Typhoon, ensuring continuity in the UK’s air combat capabilities. He noted that the “industrial hinterland is matched between Typhoon and GCAP, from British Aerospace to MBDA to Leonardo to Rolls-Royce.”
While GCAP is poised to come online in the late 2030s, Typhoon remains central to the UK’s air combat strategy. “We are retiring our tranche 1 Typhoons in 2027, but we are spending a significant amount of money to increase the capability of the tranche 2s and 3s, which will make them world-leading, even though they are fourth generation,” said General Magowan.
Healey also highlighted the Government’s efforts to secure international orders for Typhoon. “As it happens, I was in both Turkey and Saudi Arabia last week. The opportunity for those countries to take advantage of Typhoons was a significant part of our discussions,” he noted.
The Defence Secretary emphasised GCAP’s importance for addressing future challenges:
“Yes to the commitment; yes to the momentum; yes to the importance of this long term, to meet the emerging threats and technologies that we can see in the mid and late 2030s.”
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Just to add a bit of balance, I read MoD funding for just development over the next decade is 12.5 billion.
With all the industrial benefits, pity HMT does not recompense MoD.
How many personnel, ships, planes, helicopters, Tanks, SPG, GBAD for 12.5 billion? And if we end up with 50 to 100 planes? Worth it?
Hi Daniele,
I’m getting a bit puzzled over all these statements by our Defence Secretary. I was under the opinion that all is going to be revealed in the review next year. However, we are drip fed various students as above.. I’m more concerned about our immediate capability in the event we have to act hard and fast with what we have. And to increase the defence budget as of now, rather than these statements.
Cheers,
George
Statements not students
Statements not students as my mistake above.
We must be approaching the point at which combat aircraft reach development limits. Software will become ever more capable but airframes and propulsion won’t. The F16, F15, F18 show the trend to ever longer service lives.. F35 is expected to remain in service until 2070. So the next 6th generation Tempest could be operational until 2100 or even later.
In that context £12b in development costs isn’t excessive.
What worries me more is the intensive use we are making of a small number of Typhoons with no plans to buy more.