Announced in December 2022, the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP) builds on the substantial progress already made in the UK by BAE Systems, Leonardo UK, MBDA UK, Rolls-Royce and the UK Ministry of Defence through the Team Tempest partnership.
Team Tempest has been researching and evaluating a host of future combat air system capabilities since 2018, and will continue to develop the technologies needed to deliver next generation combat air capability.
The UK industry partners have already generated strong working relationships with their counterparts in Italy and Japan, which will progress into the new joint development. These include IHI Corporation, Mitsubishi Electric and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries in Japan and Avio Aero, Elettronica, Leonardo and MBDA in Italy.
The GCAP is hugely significant for the UK’s national security and defence and reinforces the UK’s international commitment to future combat air. It is expected to create and sustain highly skilled jobs and benefit hundreds of companies throughout the supply chain, contributing to the long term economic prosperity of the three nations.