A contract valued at £4.6bn ($6.1bn) has been announced for the continued development of the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP), a collaborative next-generation fighter aircraft project between Italy, Japan and the UK.
The award, made public on 3 July 2026, was granted to Edgewing, a joint venture formed by BAE Systems, Leonardo, and Japan Aircraft Industrial Enhancement Co. Ltd. (JAIEC).
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Under the terms of the agreement, Edgewing will carry out the work over an 18-month period.
The GCAP Agency, which manages the programme on behalf of the three governments, is responsible for overseeing the contract.
The latest contract will allow the team to complete the advanced concept and assessment phase, as well as progress joint detailed design and development efforts for the new fighter aircraft.
This is the second major international contract that the GCAP Agency has awarded to Edgewing, following an earlier £686m contract issued in April 2026.
GCAP Agency chief executive Masami Oka said: “I am delighted to sign this international contract on behalf of the three GCAP nations – Italy, Japan and the UK. It will enable the GCAP Agency and Edgewing to continue making huge progress in all areas of delivery.
“The programme is vital for global security and defeating future threats, while sharing costs, technological advantages and creating highly skilled jobs in all three nations. With this long-term funding, the future of GCAP has never been more assured.”
This contract announcement comes closely after UK’s confirmation in the Defence Investment Plan (DIP) to invest £8.6bn in GCAP over four years.
As part of the DIP, the UK government committed over £1.1bn to sustain and upgrade the Typhoon force, £2.2bn for expanding the F-35 fleet, and £300m to develop a new autonomous combat aircraft.
GCAP, which is a sixth-generation fighter is scheduled to be ready by 2035. It will ultimately operate alongside current Typhoons, F-35s and autonomous systems for the Royal Air Force.
The GCAP programme, which began in 2022, is intended to deliver a new stealth fighter jet, incorporating digital engineering, AI and advanced technology.
The UK Ministry of Defence states that GCAP forms part of the country’s future combat air system, supporting 4,500 jobs and involving around 600 organisations. It is also projected to provide long-term economic benefits and strengthen the UK’s sovereign industrial base.
UK Defence Readiness and Industry Minister Luke Pollard said: “The Global Combat Air Programme will give our pilots a cutting-edge stealth fighter jet. Signing this £4.6 billion contract alongside Italy and Japan is a major step forward towards delivery.”
The latest contract comes at a time of shifting alliances in European defence, following the collapse of a rival Franco-German fighter programme in June. The failure of the Future Combat Air System (FCAS) has led to increased discussions about potential new participants in GCAP.
