Global Combat Air Program partners sign agreement
NewsSeptember 12, 2023
LONDON. Leaders of defense organizations in Italy, Japan, and the United Kingdom signed a trilateral Collaboration Agreement to deliver the concept phase requirements of a next generation combat aircraft for the Global Combat Air Program (GCAP).
GCAP is a strategically important partnership between three nations, bringing together their respective industries to collaborate on shared military and industrial objectives in the delivery of a next generation combat aircraft in 2035, according to a BAE Systems release.
“We have maintained a high tempo of engagement with our industrial and government partners in Italy and Japan since the launch of GCAP,” says Herman Claesen, Managing Director, Future Combat Air Systems, BAE Systems. “The Collaboration Agreement signals the strong alignment across all three nations to meet common goals and objectives on the program to deliver a truly international, next generation combat aircraft.”
The agreement between BAE Systems (UK), Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (Japan) and Leonardo SpA (Italy) will involve the industry partners maturing integration, collaboration and sharing of information towards the next phase of GCAP.
The Collaboration Agreement supports ongoing discussions to set out long-term working arrangements and maturity of the concept and capability requirements for the next generation combat aircraft.
“This trilateral collaboration on the program, for the development of a next generation system, represents the flagship of the distinctive capabilities and disruptive technologies that the partners of the three nations will share, in an innovative way, for the success of the program,” says Guglielmo Maviglia, Director GCAP Program, Leonardo SpA. “Participation in DSEI London fits perfectly into our progress of the collaboration and consolidates more than ever the strong ties created between the partner companies of Italy, the UK, and Japan. In this context, we are particularly proud to be able to contribute to the future and the prosperity of the generations to come with significant implications for security and technological development, as well as in the field of research and innovation in the aerospace and defense sectors.”
