UK, Italy and Japan sign $6.1bn deal for next-generation fighter jet
The UK, Italy and Japan have signed a $6.1 billion contract to advance a next-generation stealth fighter jet under GCAP. Britain said the sixth-generation aircraft is targeted to enter service in 2035.
LONDON: The United Kingdom, Italy and Japan have signed a £4.6 billion, or $6.1 billion, contract to move forward with the development of a next-generation stealth fighter jet under the Global Combat Air Programme.
In a statement, the British government described the agreement as a key step for GCAP, which is intended to deliver a sixth-generation combat aircraft for service entry in 2035. The programme is being jointly funded by the three countries.
The contract was awarded to Edgewing, a joint venture set up in 2025 by Britain’s BAE Systems, Italy’s Leonardo and Japan Aircraft Industrial Enhancement Co. Ltd. The funding will support the next phase of the programme, with work centred on the aircraft’s design, including defining major requirements and carrying out testing.
The British government said the future aircraft would operate alongside Typhoons, F-35s and autonomous systems as part of a next-generation Royal Air Force. It added that the jet would use digital engineering, artificial intelligence and other advanced technologies.
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