The trilateral GCAP Agency has signed a £4.6 billion ($6.1 billion) 18-month development contract with Edgewing, the industrial joint venture led by BAE Systems, Leonardo and Japan Aircraft Industrial Enhancement Co. (JAIEC), to advance the Global Combat Air Programme sixth-generation fighter.
Second Trilateral Contract In Three Months
Announced on 3 July 2026, the deal follows an initial £686 million contract awarded to Edgewing in April 2026 and covers the next stage of design requirements and capability definition through the end of 2027. It arrives just before the Farnborough International Airshow (July 20-24), where the partners are expected to reveal further programme updates.
UK Defence Investment Plan Unlocks Cash
The contract landed days after the release of the UK's Defence Investment Plan, which committed £8.6 billion of British funding for GCAP over four years. Portions of the DIP earmark UK-only elements including the Excalibur flight-test aircraft and the Combat Air Flying Demonstrator, both due to be ready for flight by the end of 2027.
"The Global Combat Air Programme will give our pilots a cutting-edge stealth fighter jet," said UK Minister of State for Defence Readiness and Industry Luke Pollard MP. "Signing this £4.6 billion contract alongside Italy and Japan is a major step forward towards delivery."
Japan Reassured, Programme On Track For 2035
Japan, which had voiced concern about the UK's resolve on funding, welcomed the announcement. "With this long-term funding, the future of GCAP has never been more assured," said GCAP Agency chief executive Masami Oka. "I am excited about what we will achieve over the next 18 months."
The deal comes as European defence spending accelerates: NATO agreed a $40 billion Drone Edge counter-drone initiative earlier this month, and BAE Systems is preparing further programme announcements at Farnborough alongside Boeing's MQ-28 Ghost Bat debut and Vertical Aerospace's first public eVTOL demo.
Reporting based on coverage from The Aviationist, Defense News and Edgewing.