UK, Japan, Italy Sign Nearly 200 Billion Yuan Contract to Advance 6th-Gen Fighter Development

(CNA London, July 4) -- The United Kingdom, Japan, and Italy today signed a contract worth 4.6 billion pounds sterling (nearly 200 billion New Taiwan dollars) to advance the "Global Combat Air Programme" (GCAP), a joint development and production initiative for a 6th-generation fighter jet. The UK Ministry of Defence stated that the goal is for the GCAP 6th-generation fighter to enter service by 2035.

According to the Defence Investment Plan (DIP) released by the UK government at the end of June, the UK plans to invest a total of 8.6 billion pounds in GCAP over the next four years.

Under the GCAP framework, the UK, Japan, and Italy have each established a trilateral joint organization at both government and corporate levels to coordinate and execute the program. The 4.6 billion pounds signed today is jointly funded by the governments of the UK, Japan, and Italy, contributing to Edgewing, a trilateral joint venture established in June last year by BAE Systems (UK), Japan Aircraft Industry Promotion Association (JAIEC) (Japan), and Leonardo (Italy). BAE Systems, JAIEC, and Leonardo are the lead implementing companies for GCAP in the UK, Japan, and Italy, respectively.

In addition to the 6th-generation fighter, the UK plans to accelerate and expand the introduction of unmanned and autonomous systems to enhance air force combat power and survivability, and improve cost-effectiveness in military construction. According to the DIP, the UK's new generation air force will utilize a combination of 4th, 5th, and 6th-generation fighter jets, along with unmanned and autonomous systems, striving for an optimal balance between "quantity" and "quality" in weapon configurations.

According to the DIP, the 4th-generation fighter jet "Typhoon," after receiving over 1.1 billion pounds for upgrade engineering, is expected to remain in service at least until the 2040s. For 5th-generation fighter jets, in addition to the existing F-35B, the F-35A, capable of carrying and deploying nuclear weapons, will also enter service. The UK will thus regain its air-based nuclear strike capability, which had been phased out for many years after the Cold War, in addition to its sea-based nuclear deterrence carried by submarines.

Furthermore, the Royal Air Force plans to launch the "Collaborative Combat Aircraft" (CCA) program, which involves developing unmanned autonomous combat aircraft that can operate collaboratively with manned fighter jets, with the first technology demonstration flight scheduled before 2030.

The CCA program will initially receive 300 million pounds in funding. According to the DIP, CCA unmanned combat aircraft will operate collaboratively with the UK's 4th and 5th-generation fighter jets in the future, and as GCAP produces the 6th-generation fighter jet, the Royal Air Force is expected to lead European nations in putting the 6th-generation fighter jet into service.

Notably, the GCAP 6th-generation fighter jet will utilize high-tech such as artificial intelligence (AI) from the design phase. The DIP clearly states that GCAP is building a multinational R&D and supply system for "dual-use" technologies and has always been open to new partners joining.

This resembles the "two-pillar" model of the trilateral security partnership AUKUS (Australia, United Kingdom, United States). Under the AUKUS framework, the main program (Pillar 1) is the development of new nuclear-powered submarines, and Pillar 2 is the development of "dual-use" high technologies. Pillar 1 is limited to the three signatory countries: Australia, the UK, and the US. Pillar 2 is open to other countries, for example, Australia, the UK, and the US have indicated that they will prioritize considering Japan's inclusion in AUKUS Pillar 2 for specific projects.

In addition to AUKUS, the UK government mentioned in the DIP that GCAP will also contribute to the security and stability of the Indo-Pacific region.

The DIP emphasizes that although the UK will continue to focus its defense deployment on the Euro-Atlantic and prioritize the needs of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), the Indo-Pacific and the Middle East remain very important to the UK. The UK plans to assist allies and partners in the region in enhancing their security and defense capabilities through bilateral and multilateral mechanisms.

The DIP reiterates that the UK intends to maintain a regular military presence in the Indo-Pacific region. (Editor: Hsu Rui-cheng) 1150704

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