UK, Italy and Japan leave path open for Germany to join GCAP

According to a report by Aero-News Journal, the United Kingdom has reiterated that it remains open to Germany joining the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP), the sixth-generation fighter initiative currently led by the UK, Italy and Japan. The position reflects growing uncertainty surrounding Europe’s rival Future Combat Air System (FCAS), the Franco-German-Spanish programme that has been repeatedly disrupted by industrial disputes and schedule slippage.

UK Defence Minister Luke Pollard stated in parliamentary remarks in late 2025 that the three GCAP partners are firmly committed to delivering a next-generation stealth combat aircraft by 2035. At the same time, he stressed that the programme was deliberately structured to allow additional countries to join, provided this does not undermine timelines or core objectives.

GCAP, closely associated with the UK’s Tempest fighter concept, is designed as a supersonic, AI-enabled platform operating as part of a wider “system of systems,” including loyal wingman drones, advanced sensors and networked combat capabilities.

Germany’s possible participation reflects shifting dynamics in European combat-air cooperation. Long-running disagreements within FCAS — particularly over workshare and intellectual property between Dassault Aviation and Airbus — have increasingly called the programme’s coherence into question. These tensions have fuelled speculation that Berlin may eventually seek an alternative path to meet its future fighter requirements. Italian Defence Minister Guido Crosetto recently acknowledged that conditions are being created for new partners to enter GCAP, naming Germany explicitly alongside potential participants such as Australia.

This openness is consistent with GCAP’s equal-partnership model, which Aero-News Journal notes has enabled faster progress than rival programmes. The partners have already established a joint venture headquarters in the UK and are targeting a demonstrator flight by 2027. Adding Germany could further strengthen the industrial and technological base, potentially accelerating development of the Tempest-derived aircraft while expanding export prospects and supply-chain resilience.

From a strategic perspective, the UK’s stance reflects a pragmatic effort to enhance NATO interoperability and respond to emerging threats from advanced peer adversaries. GCAP’s emphasis on integrating manned and unmanned systems is intended to deliver superior range, payload flexibility and adaptability compared with more traditional designs.

While Japan remains focused on strict delivery timelines to replace its ageing fleet, both the UK and Italy have signalled that expansion is possible if it does not disrupt programme momentum. For Germany, a move away from FCAS could safeguard its aerospace expertise while avoiding entrenched Franco-German frictions and ensuring access to cutting-edge sixth-generation technology.

Overall, Aero-News Journal concludes that this development reinforces GCAP’s growing momentum as one of the world’s leading combat-air initiatives. Supporting thousands of highly skilled jobs across partner nations and maintaining a clear path to operational deployment in the mid-2030s, the programme represents a forward-looking model for defence cooperation.

As geopolitical pressures intensify, the UK’s openness to Germany could reshape European air-power collaboration, reducing fragmentation and strengthening collective capability around Tempest and GCAP.

By Tamilla Hasanova