Get your ticket to GaijinPot Expo 2024
A partnership involving Italy, Britain and Japan to build an advanced front-line fighter jet will likely be extended to Saudi Arabia, the Italian foreign minister said on Wednesday.
The three countries agreed in December 2022 on the Global Combat Air Program (GCAP), the first major defense industry collaboration merging the separate next-generation fighter efforts of the countries.
"The deal we have with Britain and Japan ... I think will now be extended to Saudi Arabia," Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said.
Earlier this month, the three countries said they were discussing a broadening of the project, following a meeting in Brazil between Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and her Japanese and British counterparts Shigeru Ishiba and Keir Starmer.
The partners aim to see the combat aircraft in flight around the middle of next decade. Firms including Leonardo, BAE Systems and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries have been involved in the project.
Reuters previously reported that Saudi Arabia was among the candidates to become a junior partner in the GCAP, as it would bring money and a lucrative market to a project expected to cost tens of billions of dollars.
© Thomson Reuters 2024.
2 Comments
Login to comment
Mr Kipling
They have no technical skills that can be useful to this project unless the Saudis will be manufacturing the bone cutters to dismember journalists? Or are they there to supply some cash?
Samit Basu
@Mr Kipling
Saudi share of design and production work will be handled by Saudi subsidiaries of BAE, Rolls-Royce, and Leonardo.
Saudi Arabia wants things happening on its soil to jump start an industry and train young engineers mentored by seasoned British and Italian engineers.