Italy’s Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani has indicated that Saudi Arabia is likely to join the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP), a collaborative project involving Italy, Britain, and Japan to develop an advanced front-line fighter jet. The announcement came on Wednesday, following discussions among the three countries.
The GCAP, which was established in December 2022, represents a significant step in defence industry collaboration, combining the separate next-generation fighter initiatives of the three nations. Tajani confirmed that the partnership, initially limited to Italy, Britain, and Japan, is expected to be expanded to include Saudi Arabia.
Earlier this month, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni met with her Japanese and British counterparts, Shigeru Ishiba and Keir Starmer, in Brazil, where discussions centred on extending the project. The collaboration aims to have the new combat aircraft in flight by the middle of the next decade, with companies such as Leonardo, BAE Systems, and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries involved in its development.
Saudi Arabia’s potential inclusion in the GCAP is seen as a strategic move, bringing both financial investment and access to a lucrative market to a project expected to cost billions of dollars.
Read next
20:30
Italy
ROME, Feb 19 (Reuters) - Italy is aiming to develop its own low-orbit satellites for government communications, its industry minister said on Wednesday, presenting it as an alternative to systems provided by U.S. billionaire Elon Musk.
19:00
The State Oil Fund of Azerbaijan (SOFAZ) has invested €34.5 million in Italy’s leading high-speed railway operator, Italo – Nuovo Trasporto Viaggiatori S.p.A. (Italo) by entering into agreement with the Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP), affiliated with US-based BlackRock.
02:59
Vatican
A man jumped onto the main altar of St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican on Friday and knocked down candelabra worth thousands of dollars.
10:46
A containment wall collapsed in central Genoa early Tuesday morning, damaging several vehicles but causing no injuries. Emergency services, including firefighters and drones, are on-site to assess the situation.
15:09
Cyprus
A Cyprus-flagged cargo ship crashed into a pier in Marina di Massa, causing a partial collapse, the Italian Coast Guard reported on Wednesday.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment