Japan, UK, Italy sign first joint contract for next-gen fighter jet

A trilateral defence initiative involving Japan, the United Kingdom, and Italy has signed its first unified contract with an industrial joint venture as part of efforts to develop a next-generation fighter aircraft.

The Global Combat Air Programme, launched in 2022, is overseen by its executive body, the GCAP International Government Organisation. On Thursday, April 2, the organisation announced a contract valued at £686 million (approximately $907 million), awarded to Edgewing, a joint venture comprising companies from all three participating countries, as per Japanese media.

The agreement covers key design and engineering activities for the future aircraft, marking a transition from previously separate national contracts to a single coordinated international framework.

GCAP International Government Organisation Chief Executive Oka Masami, a former Japanese vice-minister of defence for international affairs, described the deal as “an important moment for GCAP.” He added that work previously carried out under individual national contracts “will now be carried out as part of a fully-fledged international programme.”

The three partner nations aim to develop advanced fighter jets capable of operating in coordination with drones and surpassing current state-of-the-art aircraft. The programme targets entry into service by 2035.

By Tamilla Hasanova