The leaders of the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP) – Leonardo (Italy), Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (Japan), and BAE Systems (UK) – have expressed their warm welcome to the signing of the Convention on the Establishment of the “Global Combat Air Programme – GCAP International Government Organisation (the GIGO)” by the respective governments of Italy, Japan, and the UK. The treaty signifies a crucial agreement in the collaborative design and delivery of a next-generation fighter aircraft by 2035. The signing of the agreement just 12 months after the formation of the GCAP program reinforces the momentum and trilateral cooperation among the partners.
Discussions on the future joint industrial construct to deliver GCAP are ongoing, and industry partners recently met in Tokyo. In September of the same year, the partners announced a Collaboration Agreement to support discussions on long-term working arrangements and the maturity of the concept and capability requirements for the next-generation combat aircraft.
Representatives from BAE Systems, Leonardo, and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries welcomed the governments’ agreement, emphasizing the progress in advancing the future joint business construct that will facilitate the delivery of the next-generation combat aircraft. The joint GCAP government headquarters will be hosted in the UK, and the first CEO will come from Japan. The future business construct will also be headquartered in the UK, with the first leader from Italy.
GCAP is a significant program for the security, political, and economic prosperity of Italy, Japan, and the UK. The effective transfer of knowledge and technology is expected to contribute to the evolution and delivery of sovereign combat air capability in each nation for generations to come. Currently, there are around 9,000 people working on GCAP worldwide, with more than 1,000 suppliers across partner nations.