Defence Ministers from the UK, Italy, and Japan have announced significant progress in the trilateral Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP), aimed at delivering a next-generation fighter aircraft by 2035.
The update follows a meeting of the countries’ Prime Ministers at the G20 Summit in Brazil on 19 November 2024.
In a joint statement, Defence Ministers Guido Crosetto (Italy), NAKATANI Gen (Japan), and John Healey (UK) celebrated recent advancements, including the approval of the Convention on the Establishment of the Global Combat Air Programme International Government Organisation (GIGO) by all three parliaments. They stated, “This convention lays a solid basis for delivering a next-generation fighter aircraft by 2035 and for further enhancing the defence industrial base of each country.”
The GIGO headquarters will be based in the UK, with Japanese nominee Mr. OKA Masami appointed as its first Chief Executive. The initial leader of the proposed industry-led Joint Venture will come from Italy. Reflecting the spirit of equal partnership, the ministers highlighted, “The proposed Joint Venture, headquartered in the UK alongside GIGO, will work together with teams from across the three nations to support capable, affordable, and timely programme delivery, including the 2035 in-service date.”
The ministers also welcomed significant progress by industry partners, who are expected to sign a Joint Venture Agreement to create the new company that will lead GCAP delivery. They emphasised, “Solid and predictable cooperation on both security and defence policy will be at the heart of the strategic partnership we envision.”
John Healey, the UK’s Defence Minister, reiterated the programme’s importance: “The GCAP represents a critical step forward in international defence collaboration and in securing the technological advantage our forces need to stay ahead of emerging threats.”
The statement reaffirmed the nations’ shared commitment to deepening trilateral cooperation. The ministers concluded, “We are fully committed to the success of GCAP and to ensuring it delivers cutting-edge capabilities for our armed forces and enhances our industrial bases.”
GCAP/Tempest needs to be able to carry more ordnance, a lot further than F-35, to justify its development. My criteria would be a 5000lb bunker buster payload + self defence missiles, with a 1000 mile unrefuelled combat radius.
Sounds about right to me 👍
Sound’s very expensive for a niche weapon we have never used.
Well we never used any weapon, until we did. The way Israel has been able to strike deep underground bunkers should be inspiration for the RAF.
Going by the projected size, it’ll certainly be able to carry more than the F35. It’s closer to the F15 in length/wingspan
“GCAP/Tempest needs to be able to carry more ordnance, a lot further than F-35, to justify its development”
Precisely.
Seems to be the sort of thing that they are planning esp as Japan in particular needs that sort of platform. Will certainly be a step up from F-35, I think extra range and internal weapon capacity is already a clear requirement even if at the cost of a little manoeuvrability which is a decent compromise in the way things are headed with sensors and weaponry
A rare ray of hope in these otherwise shitty as shitty can be times
Agreed Mate!
So basically we’re working with the Italians and Japanese to develop…
Some sort of anti-radar capability for the aircraft…
Fifty thousand pounds of thrust, per!
These engines deliver an excess in a capacity of 100 percent.
Combat ceiling, 120,000 feet plus.
Note the increase in capacity, 100 percent.
Speed in excess of Mach 5, even Mach 6, and able to maintain it. Our best body design begins to melt at Mach 3.
The weapons systems are, as far as we can ascertain one of the most advanced ever conceived. It couples radar and infrared detection devices with a thought-guided, thought-controlled arsenal onboard the plane.
The pilot’s actual brain emissions are translated into a central computer through sensors in his helmet.
Whatever target the pilot chooses is instantly destroyed without his even pressing a button. Or, as quickly as his eye detects a threat either visually or on one of his scopes his thought impulses are guiding a missile to that threat.
This amounts to a two- to three-second speed advantage in reaction and attack time over any defensive system we have today.
If the GCAP can mass-produce it, it will change the structure of our world…..
Ah Yes!! The MIG 31 Firefox!!
Ah Yes!!! The MIG 31 Firefox!!!
It’s all very impressive I suppose. But I am hoping for an extensible architecture which could deliver different a wider number of variants which is something that I think was missing from the F35 project. Yes we have three different types. But imagine a system where we could have single or two seat cockpits or single or twin engines. The software is there The base structure. The stealth coatings are there. Given the complexity of the design I think even back in the 1990s such a thing was possible.
The lack of a STOVL version is something I find interesting still given all three countries operate STOVL aviation ships.
That’s asking far too much Imafraid, this needs to be focused. Too large I suspect for carrier operations and like F-35 shows us you don’t want to compromise let alone add delays and cost for STOVL version whe you have a perfectly adequate F-35 in the first place. The point of this aircraft is to add all the capability that the F-35 with all its compromises misses out on. The over large single engine of the F-35 and its compromised aerodynamics are not something to be repeated and a focused aircraft is going to be testing to create let a one the options you suggest single or dua engines would be a nightmare and a single engine only makes sense for STOVL tbh particularly when hybrid adaptive engine technology is available as it will be here. You would have to seriously decrease the airframe size to use a single engine or its performance would trail off alarmingly, it’s just not feasible to aim for a large airframe like they clearly are and then adapt it for single engine too let alone STOL the potential aerodynamic tribulations don’t bear thinking about it would be nearly a new aircraft. Indeed why would you?
As time goes by everything is upgrading and now 6-generation fighter jets are in the making. I just hope that this new jet or in the future that the new fighter jet can go to space by itself.
If that were feasible I suspect Reaction Engines might still be in operation. Seems to be a ot of over optimism on this thread,not sure where some of it is coming from we aren’t going to get a Mach 5 aircraft here with warp drive
My apologies, I was channelling the excellent movie Firefox with Clint Eastwood. I’ll credit my references in future 🙂
Perhaps something a little more recent with Maverick would have been more appropriate.
What’s the difference between a 5th Gen fighter and 6th Gen? What will GCAP have that the F35 doesn’t?
Just curious…..
As I understand it, advanced avionics, engines and sensor fusion, with high potential energy generation for focused radar jamming and direct ener weapon systems, that’s a leap forward from the F35.
All contained within a mainly robot manufactured, 3d printed structures that uses extensive bonding techniques, instead of rivets..
A second Engine and increased Size for starters.
There is no exact definition but John pretty much sums it up I think Adaptive engines will be a crucial element to enable super cruise, speed, range its efficiency offers in a singe package. Ai is the other defined difference enabling far more automation in all aspects of the package and ferns the potential for unmanned use.