Trilateral GCAP program secures $905 million contract for next-gen fighter development

The first joint international contract has been awarded for the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP) - an international collaboration between Italy, Japan and the U.K. to deliver a next-generation combat aircraft.

The GCAP Agency, which manages GCAP on behalf of the three nations, signed a contract with Edgewing - the tri-national industrial joint venture set up to lead the design and development of the program.

The $905 million contract invests in key design and engineering activities, enabling the trilateral partnership to build momentum and accelerate delivery.

Masami Oka, GCAP Agency chief executive, said: “This contract is an important moment for GCAP, as activities previously conducted under three nations’ contracts will now be carried out as part of a fully-fledged international program.”

Marco Zoff, chief executive officer Edgewing, said: “The pace at which Edgewing and the GCAP Agency have ramped up, and are now operating, has been made possible through our shared purpose and strength of collaboration. We are proud to carry this momentum forward.”

GCAP, launched in 2022, will deliver an innovative next-generation stealth fighter equipped with cutting-edge technologies, supporting sovereign industries across partner nations in meeting global threats.