Under the Global Combat Air Program or GCAP, the United Kingdom, Japan, and Italy have opted to work together to create a brand-new sixth-generation stealth fighter jet. By 2035, the global coalition hopes to have the newest fighter plane in use. The Tempest under Future Combat Air System is a sixth-generation stealth fighter plane that the UK is currently developing.
By 2035, the BAE Systems-led Tempest program will have replaced the Eurofighter Typhoon. The European missile consortium MBDA, Avio Aero, and Elettronica are already members of the Team Tempest consortium. Additionally, partners in the Typhoon fighter jet program are the British BAE Systems and the Italian Leonardo. With the expected participation of other Italian and Japanese defense companies, the Tempest project has now changed into GCAP.
The United Kingdom and Japan have a major defense partnership, as seen by Japan’s participation in GCAP. The project has already received a 2.5 billion USD commitment from the United Kingdom through 2025. According to reports, Japan and Italy would also make investments of this nature. In addition to cutting-edge fighter jets, the British Future Combat Air System framework also consists of sophisticated technology, weaponry, sensors, and drones that act as devoted wingmen. It is still unclear whether the Japanese and Italian collaboration is limited to the Tempest Fighter Jet or encompasses all FCAS systems.
Additionally, it is not yet clear how the three nations will split costs and benefits. Germany, France, and Spain are working together on a similar initiative for future warfare systems. Mitsubishi Heavy Industries in Japan will be in charge of the GCAP program’s Japanese component. Japan is also moving on with its Advanced Technology Demonstrator sixth-generation fighter program to replace the F-2 fighter jets now produced domestically. This program’s X-2 Fighter jet demonstrator made its first flight in 2016.
It now appears that the program will be incorporated into GCAP. It is anticipated that Rolls-Royce will collaborate with the Japanese company Ishikawajima Harima Heavy Industries on the GCAP powerplant. This company is developing a demonstrated power system for the Tempest program. Additionally, the Joint New Air-to-Air Missile Program, often known as JNAAM, is being developed by the UK and Japan. The aforementioned weapon system, coupled with the Japanese sophisticated radio frequency seeker and MBDA Meteor Beyond Visual Range air-to-air missile, would now probably be added to the GCAP arsenal. The United Kingdom will be able to contribute the most cutting-edge military technologies in the creation of the cutting-edge sixth-generation fighter system that will serve the partner nations for decades to come thanks to Italy and Japan’s participation.
The GCAP program’s results will replace the Typhoon fighter jets that currently form the core of the British combat force. Along with cost and benefit sharing, the alliance will also result in the creation of high-tech jobs, a more solid industrial base, and military cooperation between the three nations. In the following 20 years, the program is anticipated to boost the British economy by more than 32 billion USD. The United Kingdom will evaluate its needs for any extra capabilities, such as cutting-edge weapons and drones, in addition to developing the core future combat aircraft with Italy and Japan under GCAP.
More partners are anticipated to join the GCAP in the future, particularly Sweden, which has already scaled back its participation in competing FCAS projects. France, Spain, and Germany have joined together to create the FCAS program, which is overseen by French Dassault Aviation. Airbus and Dassault recently decided to move the Future Air Combat System program forward after reaching a settlement in their long-standing IP rights battle. Partner nations will face numerous challenges as they work together to develop the future combat system and share its costs and benefits.
The Tempest and the fighter plane seen in the GCAP project’s photographs both feature nearly identical sizes, wings, noses, and stealth configurations. However, the design has not yet been completed. Additionally, a future merging of the GCAP and FCAS programs is being considered. The participating governments have not yet decided on the future jet’s production specifications. In Lancashire, the British company BAE Systems has already opened a new facility with cutting-edge 3D printing technology and autonomous robotics.
However, to maintain their cutting-edge aerospace capabilities, Japanese Mitsubishi and Italian Leonardo might also advocate for their own production facilities. Defense spending, which is already a contentious topic in Japanese domestic politics, would need to increase in order for Japan to engage in GCAP. The pacifist nation just made the decision to increase defense spending to 2% of GDP. According to initial plans, the GCAP fighter jet will begin full-scale development in 2025, with a maiden flight anticipated for 2027 and a definitive induction into service by 2035.
In the past, efforts for stealth combat aircraft had very high costs and lengthy development durations. The GCAP program’s timetables are quite ambitious, especially given that each of the three partner countries has its own unique operating requirements.