Next-generation fighter design work funded under trinational program
NewsJuly 06, 2026
READING, United Kingdom. Edgewing won an 18-month, £4.6 billion contract from the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP) Agency for the next phase of the fighter aircraft development program involving Italy, Japan, and the United Kingdom, Leonardo announced in a statement.
The contract covers completion of the concept and assessment phase and additional joint design and development work, the statement reads. GCAP Agency manages the program on behalf of the three governments, while Edgewing serves as the trinational prime contractor and design authority for the aircraft, according to Leonardo.
The award is the second joint international contract placed by GCAP Agency with Edgewing, following a £686 million contract awarded in April 2026, the company says. Edgewing is an international joint venture established by BAE Systems, Leonardo, and Japan Aircraft Industrial Enhancement Co. Ltd.
Industrial work on the program includes trinational industry teams from Italy, Japan, and the United Kingdom, the statement adds. Those efforts include the GCAP Electronics Evolution (G2E) consortium, which is developing sensing and communications systems for the aircraft, and a power and propulsion consortium working on range and persistence capabilities, Leonardo says.
GCAP was launched in 2022 and is intended to deliver a next-generation stealth fighter by 2035, according to the statement.
