Italy and Leonardo lead GCAP: the future of military fighters

The programme GCAP (Global Combat Air Programme)born from the strategic alliance between United Kingdom, Italy and Japanrepresents one of the most ambitious projects for the future of air defence. The objective: to develop a sixth-generation hunting that can guarantee technological and operational superiority in the decades to come.

In this context, Italy plays a leading role thanks to the leadership of Leonardoa leading company in the national aerospace and defence industry, in charge of coordinating the Italian industrial contribution to the programme. Leonardo will be responsible for the development of advanced sensors, radar, mission systems and strategic technologies, confirming Italian excellence in the sector.

A strategic detachment from the US: the Trump effect

According to the Spanish magazine INFODEFENSAThe birth and consolidation of GCAP is not only the result of technological choices, but also of an autonomous geopolitical strategy by its three founders. Donald Trump's arrival in the presidency has introduced a more commercial and less cooperative approach to alliances, causing perplexity among Washington's historical allies. During the presentation of the future US fighter F-47, Trump stated that the aircraft could also be sold to the allies, but at a higher price "because they might stop being our allies"..

Words that have cooled the interest of some countries, which have long been moving towards greater strategic and industrial autonomy. The GCAP was born precisely as a Euro-Asian response to the need to break free from a US-centric view of defenceby focusing on shared technological sovereignty and equal multilateral collaboration.

A programme that looks beyond: new alliances and industrial opportunities

After the consolidation of the initial core, the GCAP programme is now looking for new strategic partners. The UK has already initiated contacts with Australia and Canada, while Italy left open the possibility of also involving Saudi Arabia. In this context, the general manager of LeonardoLorenzo Mariani, ventilated the possibility of setting up production facilities in Saudi ArabiaThis confirms the expansive potential of the project and the opportunities for domestic industry.

The successor to the Eurofighter, in synergy with the F-35

The hunt developed within the GCAP programme will be destined, in the next decade, to replace Eurofighter Typhoon fleets currently in service with the air forces of Italy and the United Kingdom. It will not, however, be an alternative to theF-35but of a strategic complementdesigned to operate in synergy with the latter, enhancing air defence capabilities and airspace superiority.

The new aircraft will integrate cutting-edge technologies such as artificial intelligence, advanced data fusion and coordination between autonomous systems, posing a real generational leap from current platforms.

Source: https://www.infodefensa.com/texto-diario/mostrar/5241886/reino-unido-italia-japon-aprovechan-agresiva-politica-eeuu-tratar-atraer-canada-australia-programa-cazas-gcap