Defense industry leaders in the UK, Japan and Italy have finalized the terms of trilateral collaboration to meet the requirements of the conceptual phase of the next generation air defense system under the Global Combat Air Program (GCAP).
The Global Combat Air Program is a strategic partnership between the United Kingdom, Italy, and Japan which sees the three nations and their respective defense industries united to collaborate on shared objectives, linked to the creation of a new generation air defense system by 2035 .
The agreement between BAE Systems (UK), Leonardo SpA (Italy) and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (Japan) reflects the strong cooperation between the three countries involved and represents an important driver for industrial partners towards integration, collaboration and sharing information for the next phase of the Global Combat Air Programme.
The collaboration agreement provides a framework for ongoing discussions to define the long-term conditions, capabilities and requirements for the development of a next-generation defense system.
Herman Claesen, Managing Director, Future Combat Air Systems, BAE Systems, said:
“We have maintained a high pace of engagement with our industry and government partners in Italy and Japan since the launch of GCAP. The collaboration agreement represents the strong alignment between all three nations to achieve common goals and objectives for an international next-generation air defense system”.
Guglielmo Maviglia, Director GCAP Programme, Leonardo SpA, said:
“This trilateral collaboration to develop a next-generation air defense system represents the flagship of the distinctive capabilities and disruptive technologies that the three-nation partners will share to make the program successful. Participation in the DSEI in London fits perfectly into the framework of the program's advancement and consolidates the strong ties created between partner companies from Italy, the United Kingdom and Japan. In this context, we are particularly proud to be able to contribute to the future and prosperity of generations to come with significant implications in the field of security and technological development, as well as in the field of research and innovation in the aerospace and defense sectors.”
Hitoshi Shiraishi, Senior Fellow, GCAP, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, said:
“We are truly honored to be part of GCAP and will bring all of our considerable knowledge gained through previous programs to bear. The collaboration agreement is one of the key steps to ensure our mutual success. We have already started to collaborate closely with our UK and Italian partners and believe that our mix of different cultures and perspectives will contribute to the success of this programme."
GCAP is a highly significant program to the security, political and economic prosperity of every nation and, through effective knowledge and technology transfer, will help evolve and deliver important sovereign combat air capabilities in every nation, for generations to come.
