Joint Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP) project led by Great Britain, Italy, and Japan with the goal of creating sixth-generation Tempest fighter is progressing almost without public difficulties. Especially compared to Franco-German-Spanish FCAS, which can only be saved by splitting into two fighters.
But not everything is so cloudless, because Italy again raised the topic that the British aren't sharing all technological information. And such an accusation is sounding for the second time. Back in April 2025, Italy's Defense Minister Guido Crosetto directly called London's position selfish. And now he voiced the same problem again.
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Italian defense department head in an interview with Defense News confirmed that nothing has changed since then and Great Britain doesn't want to share technologies. And if last year Guido Crosetto called the British selfish, now he calls them mad. At such a moment not to share technologies with allies is madnes… This is a great service to russians and Chinese, the publication quotes him.
Also, Guido Crosetto clarified that he instructed Italian Leonardo, which represents Italy in trilateral equal development, to be first to share its developments with colleagues from Great Britain and Japan. And after this happens, Italy's defense ministry will assess partners' actions, counting on reciprocity.
Defense Express recalls that all legal complexities with Tempest development were resolved back in June 2025, when all three countries launched joint company Edgewing. It's formed by equal shares of BAE Systems (Great Britain), Leonardo (Italy), and Japan Aircraft Industrial Enhancement Co. Ltd. (JAIEC, Japan) and is responsible for aircraft development, serial production, and technical support.
Also, unlike FCAS, Tempest fighter outline and requirements are already agreed upon, and technology demonstrator should take to the sky in 2028. And operation start of first sixth-generation fighters is planned for 2035. And in case of success, it will become the first European representative of new generation.
At the same time, GCAP program budget with Tempest and all other components, including loyal wingman drones, is indeed astronomical. For Italy alone it amounts to 18.6 billion euros. And because all parties' contributions are equal, one should expect total GCAP spending at level of 56 billion euros.
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