An agreement to form a new company under a business joint venture for the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP, established in December 2022) has been reached — subject to regulatory approvals — by
BAE Systems (UK),
Leonardo (Italy), and
Japan Aircraft Industrial Enhancement Co Ltd (JAIEC). The new joint venture will be accountable for the design, development and delivery of the next generation combat aircraft and will remain the design authority for GCAP for the life of the product, which is expected to go out beyond 2070. BAE Systems, Leonardo, and JAIEC will each hold a 33.3% shareholding in the new joint venture.
Charles Woodburn, BAE Systems’ chief executive, said: “The agreement is a culmination of many months working together with our industry partners and is testament to the hard work of everyone involved in this strategically important programme. The new business will bring together the significant strengths and expertise of the companies involved to create an innovative organisation that will lead the way in developing a next generation combat air system, creating long-term high-value and skilled jobs across the partner nations for decades to come.”
Kimito Nakae, JAIEC’s president, added: “As we now embark upon the exciting and important journey towards the success of GCAP, I acknowledge that the way might not always be simple and straightforward. However, I believe that through continuing the strong spirit of trilateral cooperation and collaboration that we have fostered up to this point, we will not only deliver the GCAP on time but also at a level that exceeds all our expectations.”
The new joint venture will have operations and joint teams working in each of the partner nations. It will be headquartered in the UK, to ensure maximum alignment and collaboration with the GCAP International Government Organisation (GIGO), which will also be headquartered in the UK. Both entities will work together to support cost-effective and timely programme delivery, including a 2035 aircraft-in-service date.