Britain unveils new stealth fighter design

The three nations of the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP) – the UK, Italy, and Japan – have unveiled a new concept model of their next-generation fighter aircraft at the Farnborough International Airshow 2024.

Exhibiting together for the first time, the GCAP partners and their lead industry collaborators, BAE Systems (UK), Leonardo (Italy), and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (Japan), showcased the significant strides made in developing a truly next-generation combat aircraft.

The new concept model displayed in Hall 5 features an evolved design with a larger wingspan to enhance the aircraft’s aerodynamics.

Herman Claesen, Managing Director of Future Combat Air Systems at BAE Systems, highlighted the progress made since the programme’s launch:

“In the 18 months since the launch of the Global Combat Air Programme, we’ve been working closely with our industrial partners in Italy and Japan under the collaboration agreement, and also with the three governments, to understand and align requirements for a next-generation combat aircraft. The new model, unveiled at Farnborough International Airshow, shows notable progress in the design and concepting of this future fighter jet. We’ll continue to test and evolve the design as we move closer towards the next phase of the programme.”

Guglielmo Maviglia, Chief Global Combat Air Programme Officer at Leonardo, emphasised the programme’s rapid pace and strong commitment:

“The pace of the programme is extraordinary, building on a solid foundation and industrial legacy in each country and government-led partnership. Since the treaty was signed in December 2023, the programme has seen strong commitment from each partner. Each brings different, but complementary, qualities and requirements. We are now working closely together to exchange knowledge, address common challenges, and achieve common goals.”

Hitoshi Shiraishi, Senior Fellow at Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, expressed the collaborative benefits:

“MHI considers any project to be a valuable opportunity to deepen our knowledge. In particular, since GCAP is a three-country joint development programme between Japan, the UK, and Italy, we expect to obtain better results and deeper knowledge than ever before by combining the different cultures, experiences, and knowledge of the three industries involved.”

The combat aircraft, set to be in service by 2035, will be among the world’s most advanced, interoperable, adaptable, and connected fighter jets, featuring an intelligent weapons system, a software-driven interactive cockpit, integrated sensors, and a next-generation radar providing significantly more data than current systems.

GCAP is strategically important, combining the efforts of the UK, Italy, and Japan to deliver a next-generation combat air capability. The programme aims to enhance the security, political, and economic prosperity of each nation, employing tens of thousands of skilled individuals and advancing industrial skills and technologies.

The next-generation combat aircraft developed by GCAP will be known as Tempest in the UK. Lead Systems Integrators include BAE Systems (UK), Leonardo (Italy), and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (Japan), with additional contributions from companies like Avio Aero, ELT Group, IHI, MBDA, Mitsubishi Electric, and Rolls-Royce.

History of the Global Combat Air Programme

The Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP) is a multinational initiative involving the United Kingdom, Japan, and Italy, aimed at developing a sixth-generation stealth fighter. The programme seeks to replace the Eurofighter Typhoon and Mitsubishi F-2 currently used by the Royal Air Force, Italian Air Force, and Japan Air Self-Defense Force.

In December 2022, Japan, the UK, and Italy announced the merging of their separate sixth-generation fighter projects into the unified GCAP. This was formalised with a treaty in December 2023. The timeline set by the agreement includes the start of formal development in 2025, a demonstrator flight in 2027, and production aircraft entering service by 2035.

Below is an early concept model of the aircraft, you can see a significant difference from he above.

GCAP involves approximately 9,000 people and over 1,000 suppliers from the three partner nations, with significant participation from the UK, Italy, and Japan. The programme aims to enhance economic growth and the military capabilities of these countries. BAE Systems, one of the leading companies in the project, has 1,000 apprentices and graduates working on GCAP.

The GCAP builds on previous efforts, such as the UK’s Tempest programme, which was unveiled in 2018 to develop a new fighter aircraft to replace the RAF’s Eurofighter Typhoons. Italy joined the Tempest programme later, while Sweden participated in related technological advancements. Japan’s Mitsubishi F-X programme, which evolved from the Mitsubishi X-2 Shinshin, is also a foundation of GCAP.

In 2022, the UK and Japan agreed to jointly develop a new fighter engine and explore future air combat technologies, paving the way for GCAP. This collaboration is structured with each nation handling different aspects of the project. By 2024, detailed development and cost-sharing plans are expected to be clarified, with production starting around 2030 and the first aircraft operational by 2035.

There has been speculation about expanding GCAP to include new members such as Sweden, Saudi Arabia, and Germany. However, each potential addition presents unique challenges. Saudi Arabia’s interest has met resistance from Japan, while Sweden has delayed its decision to join until 2031. Germany’s participation remains uncertain amid its own defence programme challenges. In December 2023, the GCAP International Government Organisation (GIGO) was established to manage the programme, with Japan providing the first CEO and Italy the first leader of the business entity.

In short, GCAP represents a massive collaborative effort to develop next-generation combat air capabilities, integrating the best technological and industrial expertise of the UK, Japan, and Italy.