Edgewing Gets $6.1 Billion for GCAP Fighter Development

The tri-national Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP) endeavor between Italy, Japan and the UK has received £4.6 billion ($6.1 billion) to progress the assessment and development of a future fighter concept. A contract signed with the project's prime contractor and design authority Edgewing on July 3 came just days after the UK’s much-delayed Defence Investment Plan (DIP), apparently enabling the deal, was finally published.

According to Edgewing, the new 18-month contract will “enable completion of the advanced concept and assessment phase of the program, and further joint detailed design and development.” At the core of the so-called “system of systems” program will be a crewed fighter, slated to enter service in 2035, which the UK government said “will work alongside [Eurofighter] Typhoons, [Lockheed Martin] F-35s and autonomous systems as part of a next-generation Royal Air Force.”

The contract comes at a crucial time for the program, awarded just days after an initial £686 million ($915 million) arrangement awarded by the GCAP Agency to Edgewing in April was due to expire. In the defense sector, this was perceived by many as an interim contract, awaiting the formal publication of the disputed UK DIP, which was finally released almost a year later than expected. Finally published by the UK government on June 30, the DIP pledged to invest £8.6 billion into GCAP between now and the end of the decade, adding that the UK has already spent £2.7 billion on the program since 2024.

In April, Edgewing explained that the initial contract “invests in key design and engineering activities and enables the trilateral partnership to build momentum and accelerate the pace of delivery.” GCAP Agency chief executive Masami Oka also noted that the contract marked an important moment for GCAP, marking the first time activities previously carried out independently were combined into a “fully-fledged international program.”  

Although the three nations have not disclosed how the fresh funding has been divided, the new commitment may help alleviate fears from project partners alarmed by the UK’s apparent reticence in recent months. GCAP’s new contract also comes just weeks after the rival Future Combat Air System (FCAS)—a collaborative approach between France, Germany, and Spain—was officially canceled.

Edgewing—a joint venture combining BAE Systems (UK), Leonardo (Italy), and Japan Aircraft Industrial Enhancement Co Ltd (Japan)—was formed in 2022, with each partner holding an equal third share. As the prime contractor and design authority, it will remain accountable for the design and development of the aircraft throughout its life, expected to be beyond 2070.