Global Combat Air Programme development

The Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP) is an international collaboration between the United Kingdom, Japan, and Italy to develop a sixth-generation stealth fighter aircraft, with a target deployment date of 2035.

Recent developments include the awarding of an 18-month contract to the GCAP Electronics Evolution (G2E) consortium. This contract focuses on developing Integrated Sensing And Non-Kinetic Effects & Integrated Communications Systems (ISANKE & ICS) to provide pilots with information superiority through data fusion. Participating companies in this consortium include ELT Group, Leonardo S. p. A., and Mitsubishi Electric Corporation.

Technical goals for the aircraft include the ability to control autonomous wingmen and an internal munitions capacity twice that of the F-35. To ensure operational viability in the Pacific, Japan has emphasized the necessity of a flight range that meets or exceeds the F-15J. Meanwhile, the Edgewing consortium—comprising IHI Corporation, Avio Aero, and Rolls-Royce—is developing the propulsion system, with engine finalization expected by 2028 if development remains on schedule.