London: The UK defence contractor BAE Systems, Italy’s Leonardo and Japan Aircraft Industrial Enhancement (JAIEC) launched a joint venture on Friday to develop a next-generation supersonic fighter jet, which will replace the Eurofighter Typhoon.
“BAE Systems (UK), Leonardo (Italy), and Japan Aircraft Industrial Enhancement Co Ltd (JAIEC), have reached an agreement to form a new company under a business joint venture for the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP),” the joint statement read.
The venture will be responsible for the design, development and delivery of the next-generation combat aircraft and will provide maintenance throughout its service life, which is expected to extend beyond 2070.
The venture is expected to be established by mid-2025. Each company will hold a 33.3% share in it, with the branches located in each of the three countries. The first CEO will be from Italy.
In December 2022, the leaders of Japan, Italy and the United Kingdom agreed on a joint development of a new fighter jet to replace the F-2 jets in Japan and the Eurofighter Typhoons in Italy and the UK. In December 2023, the UK, Italy and Japan inked an international agreement within the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP) military program to develop a stealth fighter with supersonic capability that is expected to enter service by 2035.
