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The goal of the GCAP programme is to combat China’s and Russia’s growing threat. The project will combine two separate military programmes: Japan’s F-X programme and the UK and Italy’s Tempest Project, for which the UK had already committed the first two billion pounds.
The second sixth-generation fully-stealth fighter aircraft in the world has gained momentum after British Prime Minister Keir Starmer approved the strategically significant project that the UK, Italy, and Japan are co-developing. Last week, the approval was granted.
Prime Minister Starmer and his cabinet gave the approval for the Global Combat Aircraft Programme, or GCAP, and a formal announcement of the project is likely in the next few weeks, according to a report in the Financial Times.
The goal of the GCAP programme is to combat China’s and Russia’s growing threat. The project will combine two separate military programmes: Japan’s F-X programme and the UK and Italy’s Tempest Project, for which the UK had already committed the first two billion pounds.
In December of last year, Italy, Japan, and the UK signed a treaty. However, the UK’s participation was uncertain because of the Labour Party’s Strategic Defence Review, or SDR, which could cancel the UK’s participation due to high costs. But those concerns have been allayed with Prime Minister Starmer’s approval.
The final cost of the multibillion-dollar project is not known yet, but the target to develop and commission the stealth fighter jet has been set for 2035. Japan’s Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Italy’s Leonardo Aerospace, engine manufacturer Rolls-Royce, and British aircraft manufacturer BAE Systems are all working together on the project.
According to the trilateral agreement, the joint GCAP government headquarters will be based in the UK. The United Kingdom’s defence ministry declared, “The UK is a proud member of the Global Combat Air Programme; working together with our partners Japan and Italy, we are fully focused on delivering a next-generation combat aircraft for 2035.”
The GCAP supersonic, sixth-generation stealth fighter aircraft will be the second of its kind in the world, after the Northrop Grumman-built B-21 Raider Bomber, if the deadlines are fulfilled.
THE BOMBER OF “B-21 RAIDER”
The B-21 Raider bomber boasts an open systems architecture, cutting-edge networking capabilities, and sixth-generation stealth technology. Its covert construction allows it to evade the area-denial and anti-access systems it encounters.
It is capable of delivering both conventional and nuclear payloads. It also has the ability to use a broad mix of stand-off and direct attack munitions. With cloud-based aircraft operations, it is the first digital bomber in history.
As the “world’s most advanced strike aircraft,” the B-21 Raider is named after the Doolittle Raid of World War II, in which 16 B-25 Mitchell medium bombers and 80 airmen, led by Lt. Col. James “Jimmy” Doolittle, embarked on a mission that altered the outcome of the conflict. These 80 volunteers played a crucial role in changing the tide of the Pacific theatre. As a result, the raid served as a springboard for numerous subsequent advancements in US air superiority, whether on land or at sea. The B-21 Raider’s name was inspired by the valiant nature of the Doolittle Raiders.