Opinion: Should Australia join the GCAP?

The multinational effort to build a next-generation combat aircraft, launched in late 2022 and designed to enter service in 2035, is expected to replace existing platforms such as the Eurofighter Typhoon and the Mitsubishi F-2.

In addition, the programme is committed to a strategy of modern industrial collaboration through a joint venture called Edgewing, with BAE Systems, Leonardo, and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries as lead partners.

Australia itself could benefit from joining as an observer alongside Canada, providing enhanced insight into GCAP, a better understanding of the programme’s governance, capabilities, and industrial framework, as well as related security requirements and broader partnering opportunities.

Is GCAP the right fit?

Australia reportedly received an update on the programme at the Avalon Australian International Airshow in March last year, amid as-yet-unconfirmed media speculation that it could join.

Questions remain about how the GCAP could be integrated into older Australian platforms such as the F/A-18 E/F Super Hornets and E/A-18G Growlers, which are scheduled to remain in service until the 2040s, alongside the F-35 Lightning II aircraft and the MQ-28A Ghost Bat collaborative combat aircraft.

In terms of technological integration, the GCAP fighter jet is envisioned to co-operate with Typhoons, F-35s and autonomous systems as a new “core platform” that connects to other crewed and uncrewed peripheral systems.

It’s expected to be capable of conducting missions with other assets in a coordinated and collaborative manner, aided by a command, control and communications infrastructure based on AI, supercomputing,

combat cloud architecture, and adaptive, ultra-fast cyber-resilient datalinks, for high-volume data transmission.

“Momentum is being driven by our disruptive new model of defence collaboration: the first time that three countries have come together to create a single engineering prime, working on behalf of our national industries, with a single empowered customer,” according to Edgewing chief executive Marco Zoff.

The funding is real

In July this year, the UK government awarded a contract of more than £4.6 billion to the Edgewing industry joint venture, funded jointly by the three partner nations, to advance the next stage of the aircraft’s design.

The contract is considered a key milestone for the GCAP and follows a UK Defence Investment Plan to invest £8.6 billion into the programme over four years.

“The Global Combat Air Programme will give our pilots a cutting-edge stealth fighter jet. Signing this 4.6 billion pound contract alongside Italy and Japan is a major step forward towards delivery,” UK Minister for Defence Readiness and Industry Luke Pollard MP said.

GCAP and the UK’s future combat air system have reportedly already delivered tangible advances in UK digital engineering and advanced manufacturing, including the use of AI, robotics, augmented reality, and additive manufacturing to speed up design, testing, and production processes.

“(Recent investments announced this year) enable the GCAP Agency and Edgewing to continue making huge progress in all areas of delivery. The programme is vital for global security and defeating future threats, while sharing costs, technological advantages and creating highly skilled jobs in all three nations,” according to GCAP agency chief executive Masami Oka.

“With this long-term funding, the future of GCAP has never been more assured.

“I am excited about what we will achieve over the next 18 months and the opportunities we can create to grow the programme further.”

GCAP is still developing towards operational service, but the programme is moving forward with investment momentum under Japan, the UK, and Italy.

Australian decision makers should rightly question whether this kind of sixth-generation combat-air system would fit neatly into the current combat-air capability of the Australian F-35A, Super Hornet, Growler, and Ghost Bat.