The United Kingdom, Italy, and Japan, who in 2022 formed a military-focused coalition Global Combat Air Program (GCAP), agreed to invest the same amount of funds to create a sixth-generation fighter jet, Nikkei Asia reported on Thursday.
The three partners' goal was said to be introducing a new aircraft with more advanced features than even the United States-made F-35 by 2035.
The countries selected BAE Systems PLC from the UK, Leonardo S.p.A. from Italy, and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. and Society of Japanese Aerospace Companies' (SJAC) Japan Aircraft Industrial Enhancement Co. Ltd. (JAIEC) to lead the project on the manufacturing side.
