British Prime Minister Keir Starmer recently gave the go-ahead for the next-generation Global Combat Air Program (GCAP) to produce the world's most advanced sixth-generation fighter jets, known as Tempest in the UK.
The approval for the project, which is being co-developed by the UK, Italy, and Japan, was given last week, according to media reports. However, an official announcement regarding this is still awaited. It is also not known how much this multi-billion dollar project would cost.
ALSO READ: India strikes major defence deal with Russia for lethal Pantsir air defence system
Although a treaty regarding this was signed between Italy, Japan, and the UK in December, the programme ran into uncertainty after the UK government refused to commit to it in July. However, according to a Financial Times report, the prime minister had given the green signal for the fighter jet at a meeting held with some of his ministers on November 5.
GCAP merges two military programmes: the UK's Tempest—a proposed sixth-generation fighter aircraft currently under development in the United Kingdom for the Royal Air Force— and Japan's F-X, a sixth-generation stealth fighter currently under development for the Japan Air Self-Defense Force.
The programme is being developed as part of the efforts to enhance military capabilities against rising threats from China and Russia and is expected to be commissioned by 2035.
The combat aircraft is expected to be one of the world’s most advanced, interoperable, adaptable, and connected fighter jets. It will be equipped with an intelligent weapons system, a software-driven interactive cockpit, and integrated sensors, and will also have a powerful next-generation radar, capable of providing much more data than current systems, giving it the much-needed competitive edge.
"UK is a proud member of the Global Combat Air Programme, working together with our partners Japan and Italy, we are fully focused on delivering a next-generation combat aircraft for 2035," the UK defence ministry had said, according to NDTV.
