The international headquarters overseeing the Global Combat Air Programme is expected to employ around 500 personnel once fully operational, according to the Ministry of Defence.
The figure was confirmed in response to a written parliamentary question from Gregory Campbell, Democratic Unionist Party MP for East Londonderry, who asked how many UK and overseas military and civilian staff would be routinely employed at the Global Combat Air Programme International Government Organisation based in Reading.
Responding on behalf of the department, Defence Minister Luke Pollard said the organisation is still validating and refining its final structure.
“The Global Combat Air Programme International Government Organisation is validating and refining its organisational design,” he said. Pollard added that tri-national planning assumptions currently envisage a workforce of around 500 employees when the organisation reaches full operating capacity. “A third of employees will come from each of Italy, Japan and the United Kingdom,” he said, adding that the workforce will comprise a mixture of military and civilian personnel from all three nations.
The International Government Organisation, known as GIGO, forms a central pillar of the Global Combat Air Programme, a joint UK-Japan-Italy initiative to develop a next-generation combat aircraft to replace the Royal Air Force’s Typhoon, Italy’s Eurofighter fleet and Japan’s Mitsubishi F-2. The Reading facility was formally opened in July 2025 and also hosts Edgewing, the joint venture between BAE Systems, Leonardo and Japan Aircraft Industrial Enhancement Co. Ltd., which is responsible for the design and development of the aircraft.
At the time of the headquarters opening, the government said the wider programme already supported more than 3,500 UK jobs, alongside around 1,000 apprenticeships, with employment expected to grow as development progresses. Across all three partner nations, around 9,000 people are currently engaged in the programme, supported by more than 1,000 suppliers. Approximately 600 of those suppliers are based in the UK. Under current timelines, the programme is expected to deliver a flying demonstrator later this decade, with the first operational aircraft planned to enter service from 2035.
Nice to see It’s a busy project still.
I do wonder just how many RAF Typhoons will be left to replace though.
We were replacing Tornado, Harrier and others at the same point in Typhoons timeline and look at just how dramaticly slashed those figures were.
40 Tempests anyone ?
The ultimate number is the key question. It will also guide how these are perceived, since the lower the buy the higher the unit price and jets like the f22 and f35b have been roundly critised for their cost.
Hopefully over 100, but I suspect under 50, with vague promises of a future but that never happens
Yes, Aviation Ordering History In the UK does point to that low number.
Tornado, Typhoon and to a degree F35 numbers were all slashed from their Initial proposed numbers.
Apparently we are committed to 100 Tempests as part of our 40% work share agreement. However if Tempest works as advertised we won’t be looking at one to one replacement as it is suppose to be working in conjunction with ACP’s.
Ahh “Committed to”.
It will be Interesting to see how this pans out.
One would hope and indeed expect that with Tempest working with ACP’s that the actual number of airframes (Tempest + ACP) would be significantly higher than the current Typhoon fleet.
“A third of employees will come from each of Italy, Japan and the United Kingdom,”
I’d love to see who gets the catering contract for the canteen at this place!!