GCAP: Will Japan, UK, and Italy Secure Long-Term Contracts for Next-Gen Stealth Fighters?

Translation result.UK, Japan and Italy poised to lock in multi-year GCAP contractsDelays to the UK’s long‑term Defence Investment Plan had put the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP) at risk, but a fresh funding move from London appears to have steadied the effort. The Financial Times reported that the UK is preparing to commit £6 billion (approximately 12 trillion KRW, about $9 billion) to the joint sixth‑generation fighter program, clearing the way for multi‑year design and development contracts with industry partners.The core industrial partners on GCAP are BAE Systems (UK), Leonardo (Italy) and Japan Aircraft Industry Promotion (JAIEC), a consortium jointly backed by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and the Society of Japanese Aerospace Companies (SJAC). Short‑term funding announced in March is due to expire at the end of next month.GCAP aims to deliver a deployable sixth‑generation stealth fighter by 2035 and represents a strategic effort by the UK, Italy and Japan to narrow the gap with U.S. military‑technology leadership. Industry and government officials had expected long‑term contracts to be signed late last year, but repeated delays in publishing the UK’s 10‑year Defence Investment Plan pushed those plans back.With the program at risk of stalling, Tokyo increased pressure on London. According to the FT, the issue surfaced during British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper’s visit to Japan. A Japanese source told the paper that Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi took an unusually hard line in talks, pressing the UK to move straight to a full, long‑term contract rather than extend another short‑term deal.Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s planned visit to the UK next month is now said to be in doubt amid uncertainty surrounding Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s domestic position. The program supports a substantial workforce: more than 4,000 people in the UK are currently engaged on GCAP and prototype development. Failure of the program would damage Japan–UK defense ties and weaken the partners’ strategic posture in the Indo‑Pacific.Despite the recent turbulence, GCAP retains international appeal. Countries including Germany, Saudi Arabia, India and Poland have expressed interest in joining, and officials say the program’s advanced aerospace technology and industrial base still make it a promising multilateral defense project.