The Government has confirmed that there has been no alteration to the planned in-service date for the UK’s next-generation combat aircraft under the Global Combat Air Programme.
Responding to a written parliamentary question from James Cartlidge, Conservative MP for South Suffolk, Defence Minister Luke Pollard stated that the Secretary of State for Defence has authorised no changes to the in-service date for the programme.
Cartlidge had asked whether any adjustment had been made to the timeline for the Tempest jet, the British component of the multinational GCAP effort. In a brief reply, Pollard said: “The Secretary of State has authorised no changes to the in-service date for the Global Combat Air Programme.”
GCAP is a trilateral initiative between the United Kingdom, Italy and Japan to develop a sixth-generation combat aircraft intended to replace the Royal Air Force’s Eurofighter Typhoon, alongside Italy’s Typhoons and Japan’s Mitsubishi F-2 fleet. The programme was formally announced in December 2022, merging the UK-Italian Tempest project with Japan’s F-X effort. A treaty underpinning the collaboration was signed in Japan in December 2023.
Under the current schedule, full development is expected to begin in 2025, with a demonstrator aircraft planned to fly in 2027 and production aircraft entering service from 2035. The minister’s statement indicates that this timeline remains unchanged.
Around 9,000 personnel are currently working on GCAP across the three partner nations, supported by more than 1,000 suppliers. Approximately 600 of those suppliers are based in the UK, with the remainder split between Italy and Japan.
Industrial delivery is being coordinated through a joint venture known as Edgewing, formally named in June 2025. The company is owned equally by BAE Systems, Japan Aircraft Industrial Enhancement Co Ltd and Leonardo, each holding a 33.3 per cent stake. Headquartered in the United Kingdom, Edgewing is responsible for the aircraft’s design, development and delivery through the mid-2030s and for supporting it throughout its expected service life beyond 2070.
‘Full development WAS scheduled to begin in 2025. However, this government doesn’t seem to know what it is doing and is still dragging its feet on defence, despite how dangerous the world looks.’
Couldn’t agreed more. They need to pull their fingers out and stop quibbling
The sooner we can have a cutting edge fighter where we don’t have to rely on MAGA America or American corperations & permissions to operate or fit vital weapons systems to it the better. It must be also blatently obvious by now to even the most skepticle/neglectful MP that the UK needs multi layered, resiliant(plenty of ammo/missles) air/missile/drone defences asap.
Trump demanded the peace prize but then tips the whole middle east into regional war. The last leader/regime I’d expect to have a sensible, intelligent, cohesive plan to deliver victory & beneficial regime change for Iran is Trumps. Causing widespread chaos, destruction & casualties then pulling out, laming everybody else once it gets too difficult, having cynically made billions gaming the markets affected I can believe. Russia will get a massive boost to their war effort by the oil price hikes from war stiffling the gulf oil trade.
Donald J. Trump. Après moi le deluge 😂
We will still have to rely on America for the f35, sadly.
Trump derangement syndrome? How many hours out of your life do you guys obsess about this?. It’s really not healthy.
A case of no news is good news. The reply suggests that the project is technically on track, that the partnership is sound and that DIP funding is secure, at least for now.
Unfortunately it doesn’t necessarily. Sure, it might, but it’s exactly the same formula used when things have gone wrong and nobody wants to admit it yet, so they just fail to update the official plans. The minister can then state, hand on heart, that the planned in service date remains the same. As an example: has the official out of service date changed for the Type 45s? No. Does anyone believe that date? Also no.
It may be slightly different i know the Japanese really need this aircraft to be on time with China being so belligerent i suspect they will be pushing this project on to be in time
Let in Saudi money, pull the plugs out and DO it. The sooner we move away from Yankee Doodle strings attached the better.
I hope the time line stays on track. With a Dem President likely now beginning 2029 (if the tyranny card fails anyway) means we are likely 2033 before more MAGA madness bites at worst, that gives us a couple years to get through but likely a lot of orders coming in too if the likes of mad-boy Vance has us and the World in his sights again. At least it’s something to bargain with, better than going to a gunfight with gold plated rifles with no bullets.
Germany for sure l hope and would Vance continue the madness? Hopefully not.
Vance would be much, much, worse, which I know is hard to believe given how shocking the present incumbent is…
I get the same delusional comments from the clients who pay very late and then expect it to have no effect on the project timeline.
They then expect us to ‘catch up’ it is impossible explaining to people that in most projects once time is burned it is burned and that is that. Throwing resources at a problem, after the fact, makes almost no difference and can make things worse.
A few weeks ago while in Japan, Starmer agreed with his hosts to accelerate the program.
I guess he forgot all about that now that he’s home.
Sadly there is only one direction these dates are going to change…☹
We need to keep the momentum on this – BAES CEO said a while ago that they had enough Typhoon orders to keep them occupied until Tempest production starts, meanwhile the Franco-German FCAS in on the brink of collapse. We are in a good position to capitalise on exports as the only western, non-US latest gen fighter on the market.
No need to bring anyone else into the development mix, just court them as customers. Saudi and the gulf states would buy even if it’s in parallel to US purchases, just to keep options open. Maybe India, once their attempts at building their own fall apart. Early adopters of F35, too, when they find their early block airframes are running out of hours and can’t be updated to the latest spec – eg the Dutch, the Belgians, the Aussies, the Danes, Norwegians. They could be good for 150-200 by the late 2040s, plus 100 for India, 100 for Saudi and the gulf states.
Good news – but the need is now/ next 5 year not 9 years time ! 100 typhoons is pitiful – we need another 100
So production aircraft with wind under the wings in 9 years time??
I wouldn’t put money on it, I only hope Italy and Japan get us under a watertight contract, so Starmer and his useless clown show cant delay funding and slow it down.
Looks like we are the Germans in this relationship chaps….
Mate, the idea is to channel money to the MIC, same with AUKUS. We think they actually care how many Tempest and SSN are at the end of it?
My prediction, salami sliced all the way, MIC makes hundreds of billions, RN and RAF are short changed, again.
That is, if we are all alive then.
And no Trump kill switch. Keep it British.
Interesting that there are no comments on the state of the France/German/Belgium/Spanish FCAS program. Where Germany (Airbus) has now stated they are open to other options, including GCAP and Saab’s Gripen replacement. Even suggesting that FCAS could be a two aircraft program, which includes a heavy fighter for the French Navy and a lighter fighter for them. Apparently they have a bee in their bonnet of paying for a carrier fighter, when they don’t have that requirement. Whilst Belgium has stated the program is effectively dead. I think Spain are hoping that even if the others pull out, France will still go it alone, but with Spanish support.
I have a feeling that Germany will jump in bed with Sweden, as it is more aligned with their requirements than the much larger GCAP.