Britain Gears Up for 2025 with Global Combat Air Programme

The UK's Global Combat Air Programme, a joint venture with Japan and Italy, is on track for its design and development phase launch in 2025. BAE Systems' director emphasised its importance during the Farnborough Airshow, where British PM Keir Starmer reaffirmed the project's significance post-defense review.

The UK's Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP), a collaborative venture with Japan and Italy to develop a cutting-edge fighter jet, is set to enter its design and development phase in 2025, according to a BAE Systems executive.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer confirmed at the Farnborough Airshow the critical role of GCAP, quashing rumours that the initiative might be shelved following a defense review.

BAE's Herman Claesen, a key figure in the GCAP effort, joined his Italian and Japanese counterparts at a press conference to discuss the programme's progression, noting that the industrial phase is almost complete.