Japan is intensifying efforts to strengthen cooperation with the United Kingdom and Italy on the joint Global Combat Air Program (Gcap) for the development of the sixth-generation combat system.
As reported by Defense News, the Tokyo government is working to ease restrictions on the export of military equipment, while the National Diet, the Japanese parliament, is expected to approve the financial allocations for the Gcap project during the month.
The Gcap program started with the agreement signed between the United Kingdom, Italy, and Japan in December 2023, which provided for the establishment of a government organization (Gigo) and an industrial alliance with a JV among the lead companies (Leonardo for Italy, Bae Systems for the United Kingdom, and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries for Japan), formed in December 2024, operational since last June under the name Edgewing.
Within the framework of developing the new sixth-generation fighter, there is, however, a delay in signing the contract between the three governments involved in the program and the industries involved.
Edgewing was supposed to obtain the first design contract by the end of 2025. However, the signing was postponed due to the delay in publishing the UK Defence Investment Plan, which was supposed to include the necessary funding for the program, reports Defense News.
In Italy, last month the competent committees of the Chamber and Senate approved the ministerial decree to finance the advancement of the Gcap program, which updates the project costs, while in the United Kingdom the presentation of the Defence Investment Plan by the government is awaited.
All the details.
TOKYO REVISITS EXPORT RESTRICTIONS
As reported by the American specialized publication, the decision to accelerate trilateral cooperation comes as the ruling party in Japan promotes changes to the strict arms export regulations. Parliament had already eased some restrictions related to the Global Combat Air Programme, but a broader revision of the fundamental defense transfer policy could completely remove the limitations. In this scenario, Tokyo could even allow exports to countries involved in conflicts.
The government has not yet clarified how it intends to overcome the fiscal obstacles related to the program, but the National Diet is expected to approve the necessary allocations for the Gcap program during the month.
WHAT IS THE GLOBAL COMBAT AIR PROGRAMME
The combat aircraft, which will enter service in 2035, will be one of the most advanced, interoperable, adaptable, and connected aircraft in service worldwide, featuring an intelligent weapon system, an interactive software-based cockpit, integrated sensors, and a next-generation radar capable of providing 10,000 times more data than current systems.
THE INDUSTRIES INVOLVED
As already mentioned, the industrial leaders of the program are Bae Systems for the United Kingdom, Leonardo for Italy, and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries for Japan. The Lead Sub-System Integrators of the program are: Avio Aero (Italy), ELT Group (Italy), IHI (Japan), Leonardo (Italy and UK), Mbda (Italy and UK), Mitsubishi Electric (Japan), and Rolls-Royce (United Kingdom).
THE EDGEWING JOINT VENTURE IS OPERATIONAL
Last June, the joint venture between the British Bae Systems Limited, the Japanese Japan Aircraft Industrial Enhancement (Jaiec), and the Italian Leonardo for Gcap was officially established. It is called Edgewing and will be responsible for the design and development of the new sixth-generation fighter of the Gcap program. The company will act as the design authority for the entire product life cycle, with operational expectations beyond 2070. The three industrial partners of Gcap – Bae Systems, Leonardo, and Jaiec – each hold an equal 33% share of Edgewing. Marco Zoff, former managing director of Leonardo’s Aircraft Division, is the first to lead Edgewing.
The JV’s management is based in the United Kingdom to ensure the highest degree of alignment and collaboration with the Gcap International Government Organization (Gigo), also headquartered in the UK, in the English city of Reading.
The signing of the first international contract between the Gcap International Government Organization (Gigo) and the Edgewing joint venture is expected soon, as it was already scheduled by the end of last year.
LONDON’S DELAY
The presentation of the Defence Investment Plan by Downing Street is awaited, originally planned for last autumn but postponed due to the UK government’s efforts to address the budget deficit. This delay has impacted the timing of industrial cooperation within Gcap, notes Defense News.
COMMENT FROM JAPANESE MILITARY EXPERTS
Shigeki Muto, retired lieutenant general and former head of the Air Defense Command, told Defense News that the delays in signing the contract between Gigo and Edgewing “indicate uncertainty in financial commitments in design and organizational setup,” which could prevent significant investments by Edgewing.
For now, the British delay seems manageable, perhaps with an impact on prototype production of a few months to a year, Muto said. “At the moment, this situation should be interpreted as a phase of funding adjustment rather than a structural crisis,” he added.
According to Yoko Iwama, professor at the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies in Tokyo, a state think tank, the government has been largely satisfied with the Gcap program. “This partnership with the Europeans is a new experiment and a kind of risk reduction towards the Americans: it has already been seen this way here,” Iwama explained to Defense News.
