BAE Systems (UK), Leonardo (Italy), and Japan Aircraft Industrial Enhancement Co Ltd (JAIEC) have reached a landmark agreement to form a new joint venture company for the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP).
This collaboration represents a significant step toward delivering the next-generation combat aircraft.
The new entity will serve as the design authority for GCAP throughout the aircraft’s lifecycle, expected to extend beyond 2070.
Each of the three companies will hold an equal 33.3% share in the venture, pooling their technological expertise and fostering deep trilateral collaboration. Headquartered in the UK, the joint venture will align closely with the GCAP International Government Organisation (GIGO), which will also be based in the UK.
Charles Woodburn, Chief Executive of BAE Systems, described the agreement as a testament to months of collaboration:
“The new business will bring together the significant strengths and expertise of the companies involved to create an innovative organisation that will lead the way in developing a next-generation combat air system. It will create long-term, high-value, and skilled jobs across the partner nations for decades to come.”
Roberto Cingolani, Leonardo’s Chief Executive Officer and General Manager, emphasised the innovation and shared expertise driving the programme:
“This partnership enhances our technological capabilities and reinforces our commitment to global security and innovation. Today, we are paving the way for a new era in Aircraft Systems and Multi-domain scenarios, fostering sustainable growth for the economies of the involved countries.”
Kimito Nakae, President of JAIEC, acknowledged the challenges ahead but expressed confidence in the strength of trilateral cooperation:
“Through continuing the strong spirit of collaboration, we will not only deliver the GCAP on time but also exceed expectations.”
The joint venture will oversee the design, development, and delivery of the GCAP aircraft, ensuring that manufacturing and final assembly are subcontracted to BAE Systems, Leonardo, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, and the broader supply chain.
Operations and teams will be established across all partner nations, reflecting a commitment to evenly distributed industrial contributions.
Scheduled for an in-service date of 2035, the GCAP aircraft will embody cutting-edge multi-domain capabilities and provide essential combat air systems for the UK, Italy, and Japan.
The joint venture is anticipated to be operational by mid-2025, with Italy providing its first CEO. GCAP aims to represent a future-proof solution for the evolving landscape of aerial combat and international defence collaboration.
Great to see this progressing. reads like MRCA but with good partners. A challenge, but not one piece of US IP would be nice. Assume that’s one of the critical success factors alongside freedom to modify, integrate, use and sell as each partner / partner nation sees fit.
let’s show the lazy American industries how fast they can be built and delivered.
Free from Yankee “terms and our conditions apply”. Good.
It is really a shame that Germany went to partner with France. It would have been better to partner all together. Due to political constraints, this is beyond the point of no return, unfortunately.
Too many cooks… A likely recipe to slow things down, put costs up.
Definitely not.
Absolute conditions would be required first.
I’m very pleased that Japan is aboard with us. I feel they would be far more reliable partners than either Germany or France.
And in reality as a technology partner rather superior overall to Germany in reality. With them on board there is a far greater chance that deadlines will be met and development and processes managed more efficiently. The combination of these three Countries and their relative strengths really do on paper at the very least look like a match made in heaven.
Did not worked very well between Mclaren and Honda last time… 🙂
It’s especially Germany that is not very reliable!
Yet still delivered Tornado and Typhoon. And still operates Tornado. And is purchasing more Typhoons. Unlike us.
Agree, to be honest it’s the Italians that are really good, they tend to follow through with all their defence programmes. The Germans are flaky and the French always want everything for themselves.
100% yes.
The Head of Leonardo estimated at the Farnborough Airshow that GCAP will cost Euro 45 billion to develop [its not clear if that includes the cost of developing the engine], split equally between the three nations – so the UK is on the hook for at least Euro 15bn, or about £13bn. Presumably more than the same again to purchase c.100 aircraft with engines, spares, etc. That’s before inflation and the inevitable cost overturns. Makes every other defence project except Dreadnought look like like petty cash. No wonder the bean counters (the British ones anyway) are so keen to accept… Read more »
Is it so very much? It sounds like very good value TBH compared to what F35 cost to develop in its very very odd development cycle. It sounds comparable to what Typhoon would have cost, allowing for inflation, if BAE had been allowed to do as they originally wanted in developing The EAP Demonstrator. Hopefully more than 100 units bought through the life of the project. Allowing for block upgrades, fatigue life and obsolescence….. Headquartered in UK is a big win as HQ staff will spend their salaries in the UK. Although as with most of these treaty efforts they… Read more »
Well when you think that one SLS launch costs $2B it looks rather cheap to me.
I wouldn’t involve the Saudi’s in anything..ever.
I don’t trust them nor their attempts to wash all their money via the various guises.
Diont forget this is a nation that kills dissident journalists and gets away with it.
Why would you trust them not to do similar to other nations it purports to be friends with.
Plus certain relations with the R&C in BRiCS.
UK are committed to purchasing 36 but will only actually buy 12 over a 40 year period so that funds are released for the future 7th gen ASF. Laugh all you want.
Great news all round… In some 20 years time after virtually all the Typhoons have been scrapped and the 48 F35’s have been reduced to 12, we’ll be getting a confirmed order of 18 with 6 being stationed in the US for training and the remaining 12 being built over a 40 year period. Both Carriers will have been sold to Brazil to save £500 million and the new Conservative Government will promise to increase defence spending to 0.25 % of GDP.
🙄
Brilliant news and well done to all signatories.
Just a question at this point. Do those 3 companies pay all the design and R&D costs?
MoD has 12 billion allocated for development over the next decade.
So tax payer is milked to develop it then milked again to actually buy some.
Good system eh!
The Governments pay these companies.
So who gets the missing 1%? The Vatican? 🙂
A great day for UK industrial diplomacy.
The Japanese have a reputation for being reserved and understating things, so hearing Mr. Nakae say that the aircraft will “exceed expectations” has me VERY excited.