The Global Combat Air Program (GCAP), a trilateral initiative by the UK, Japan, and Italy to develop a next-generation fighter jet, appears to be facing delays due to the UK’s lack of budgetary commitments, a move that has frustrated Japan. At the same time, the GCAP program could add many new members, including India.
GCAP is a collaborative initiative between Italy, the United Kingdom, and Japan to develop a sixth-generation fighter jet. It essentially combines the British Tempest and the Japanese F-X next-generation fighter programs. It is led by BAE Systems of the United Kingdom, Leonardo of Italy, and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries of Japan.
The GCAP grouping has set a very ambitious target: to fly its first demonstrator by 2027 and field the next-generation aircraft by 2035.
For a long time, everything appeared to be perfect within this trilateral grouping, as evidenced by the official naming of the industrial joint venture as “Edgewing “in June 2025 and its subsequent launch as the central design authority responsible for the aircraft’s full development, production, and delivery. However, turbulence has apparently hit the program, with financial constraints and contractual delays threatening to push the 2035 rollout target by a few years. And Japan is not happy.
Japan is becoming increasingly sceptical of the UK’s commitment to the joint fighter development program with Italy, with vital development work blocked by British budgetary constraints, the Financial Times reported.
Edgewing was originally expected to secure its first major design and development contract from GIGO (GCAP International Government Organisation) by the end of 2025 to fund early full-scale design phases, engineering work, and the program’s organisational setup. However, the contract’s delivery has been delayed by the delay in the British Defence Investment Plan, which is necessary to provide the necessary funds.
The plan was supposedly due last fall, but high-level efforts to solve the UK’s fiscal problems have delayed it. Officials from the British Ministry of Defence (MoD) have stated that the DIP still requires cross-government agreement. This has stalled the trilateral contract signing between GIGO and Edgewing, as the UK’s financial position remains unclear, leading Japan to doubt London’s commitment to the program.
Speaking to the Financial Times, one source involved in the GCAP said, “Frankly speaking, it’s a terrible situation,” referring to the project delay caused by the UK. A second participant admitted that Japan was experiencing “growing frustration.”
Japan, for one, has been apprehensive about the GCAP meeting its rollout target since at least June 2025, as previously reported by EurAsian Times.
If the GCAP is delayed, Japan will be left with a gaping hole in its air capability, which may be cause for concern given that China is already testing two prototypes of sixth-generation fighters, the J-36 and the J-50.
According to reports, the UK and Italy are more interested in GCAP creating a cutting-edge “system of systems,” a jet that works in tandem with a swarm of drones in a less rigid timeline. Meanwhile, Japan’s primary goal is to develop a new fighter by the mid-2030s.
Japanese officials and ministers have expressed growing concerns about delays in the UK’s defence expenditure plans and whether GCAP’s financial requirements will be met. The industry partners have maintained the pace of engineering and design work under current national funding sources, but they are now concerned that UK financing will run out in the upcoming weeks, it added.
The British Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer, attempted to reassure his Japanese counterpart, Sanae Takaichi, of Britain’s commitment during a visit to Japan earlier this year. However, these assurances have had little impact in the absence of a financing plan.
Poland, India Assessing GCAP
Japan has changed its position and is now more willing to enter into agreements with prospective buyers of the fighter jet to reduce the UK’s financial obligations.
The GCAP is Japan’s most expensive defence project and its first international co-production deal with European allies. In fact, reports indicate that GCAP costs have tripled since the program’s inception, raising fiscal concerns even for the Japanese government.
Earlier, Saudi Arabia expressed willingness to join the GCAP since 2023, offering significant financial contributions to offset costs. While the UK had been supportive, Japan consistently opposed it, arguing that Saudi Arabia “would bring little to the table” in terms of technical contributions. Additionally, it has raised concerns about export policy, technology security risks, and potential delays.
Poland has also shown interest in joining the GCAP program.
Polish Deputy Minister of State Assets Konrad Gołota recently disclosed that the country is in talks to join the GCAP, adding that he had spoken with Japanese and Italian industry partners in recent months. The Minister said that the GCAP industry members appeared willing to discuss Warsaw’s partnership, without detailing the nature of the discussions.
Konrad Gołota stated that “there is understanding for our proposal and a willingness to continue discussions” about joining GCAP.
Responding to the comments, British Defence Secretary John Healey indicated that the UK is open in principle to admitting additional partners to the GCAP. “We’ve said, in principle, as three nations that we will talk to other nations that have an interest in the GCAP programme… potentially as future partners,” he stated.
Another country exploring the GCAP is India.
As recently reported by EurAsian Times, the Indian Ministry of Defence (MoD) informed the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Defence of its interest in GCAP and the Future Combat Air System (FCAS), led by France, Germany, and Spain. Notably, the document sent to the committee states that the Indian Air Force (IAF) will “seek to join one of them” to ensure it does not fall behind in next-generation, cutting-edge technologies.
In February 2025, Japanese officials visited India, briefed Indian officials on the program’s characteristics, and proposed their participation.
At the time, reports suggested that Tokyo wanted to invite New Delhi into the program, but a section of experts noted that it was related to a potential purchase rather than a design-and-development partnership.
In addition to Poland and India, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz floated the possibility of his country joining the GCAP during his January 2026 visit to Italy, and the Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni told Merz she is open to it. The move came as Berlin is struggling to reach a solution with Paris over differences in work-sharing within the FCAS (Future Combat Air System) framework.
When asked about Germany’s potential partnership in GCAP, a Japanese official told The Japan Times that the joint project “has been designed with cooperation with allies and like-minded countries in mind.”
However, Sweden was among the very first to show interest in the UK’s Tempest program. It ultimately withdrew in 2023 due to differences in requirements and overall concepts for the future fighter.
In essence, while the UK and Italy have kept the door conceptually open for partners who could add value without derailing progress, Japan’s position prioritises momentum and risk minimisation.
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