Saudi Arabia poised to join GCAP fighter jet project, says Italy

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.

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