Global Combat Air Program (GCAP)

Excel purchased two Boeing 757s to support the development of the FTA, named Excalibur, under contract from Leonardo.

Avio Aero is the Italian propulsion partner on the Global Combat Air Program (GCAP), along with the UK’s Rolls-Royce and Japan’s IHI Corporation.

The £656 million ($822 million) contract was awarded to BAE Systems on April 14.

Japan’s Mitsubishi Electric, Leonardo UK and both Leonardo and Elettronica from Italy are collaborating on the Global Combat Air Program’s (GCAP) electronics.

The agreements come just more than a month since the GCAP enterprise was formed.

Industrial and governmental joint ventures would allow more national partners to join the program and benefit from volume.

Officials are envisioning the creation of both industrial and government joint ventures.

As current fourth and fifth-generation fighters evolve and find new customers, attention is turning to next-generation efforts.

Having partnered with the U.S. on the F-16-derived Mitsubishi F-2, Japan is breaking with tradition and merging its F-X project into GCAP.

The UK and Italy’s Tempest Future Combat Air System project is merging with Japan’s F-X fighter effort.