More countries could join UK-Italy-Japan fighter jet project, Italian minister says

Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto announced on Tuesday that more countries could be invited to join the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP), a trilateral initiative between the UK, Italy, and Japan to develop a next-generation fighter jet. “The country most interested at the moment seems to be Canada as an observer; we are fully open to it,” Crosetto told reporters in Rome. He added that if Germany or other countries, or Saudi Arabia, were to join, “we would be completely willing, because the more there are, the greater the chances of creating something and bringing down costs.”

Program background

GCAP brings together Britain’s BAE Systems, Italy’s Leonardo, and Japan’s Mitsubishi Heavy Industries through the Japan Aircraft Industrial Enhancement partnership. The countries aim to field the new aircraft by 2035. The program is seen as one of the world’s most ambitious efforts to design a sixth-generation fighter jet, with potential partners still under discussion. Germany and France earlier this month agreed to abandon a separate joint plan to develop a next-generation combat aircraft, following long-running disagreements between the defense firms involved.