The three main companies behind the trinational Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP) announced on 13 December 2024 that they have reached an agreement to form an equally owned joint venture to take the programme forward to fruition.
The UK’s BAE Systems, Italian company Leonardo and the Japan Aircraft Industrial Enhancement Co (JAIEC) will each hold a 33.3% shareholding in the new joint venture, bringing together the combined strengths and expertise of the three companies and marking a pivotal moment for the programme. The agreement is subject to the usual regulatory approvals.
The new joint venture will be accountable for the design, development and delivery of GCAP, including the Tempest sixth-generation fighter, and will remain the design authority for GCAP for the life of the product, which is expected to be in service beyond 2070.
The joint venture will have operations and joint teams working in each of the partner nations. It will be headquartered in the UK, to ensure maximum alignment and collaboration with the GCAP International Government Organisation (GIGO), which will also be headquartered in the UK. Both entities will work together to support cost-effective and timely programme delivery, including a 2035 aircraft in-service date.
“Today’s agreement is a culmination of many months working together with our industry partners and is testament to the hard work of everyone involved in this strategically important programme,” stated BAE Systems chief executive Charles Woodburn. “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, creating long-term, high-value and skilled jobs across the partner nations for decades to come.”
“This agreement is the result of an intensive journey made possible by pooling our mutual and shared experiences,” said Roberto Cingolani, CEO and general manager of Leonardo. “This partnership not only enhances our technological capabilities but also reinforces our commitment to global security and innovation. Today, we are paving the way for the development of a new era in aircraft systems and multi-domain scenarios, fostering long-term sustainable growth for the economies of the involved countries.”
Kimito Nakae, president of JAIEC, added, “As we now embark upon the exciting and important journey towards the success of GCAP, I acknowledge that the way might not always be simple and straightforward. However, I believe that, through continuing the strong spirit of trilateral co-operation and collaboration that we have fostered up to this point, we will not only deliver the GCAP on time but also at a level that exceeds all of our expectations.”
The trilateral GCAP effort, announced by the governments of the UK, Italy and Japan on 9 December 2022, merged two previously separate sixth-generation fighter projects: the UK-led Tempest programme, developed with Italy, and the Japanese Mitsubishi F-X programme. A treaty cementing the agreement was signed in December 2023.
