After months of uncertainty over funding and concerns about delays, Japan¡¯s joint next-generation fighter program with Britain and Italy appears poised to move into its next development phase, with London committing ?8.6 billion ($11.7 billion) to the multinational project over the next four years.
The funding, formally set out Tuesday in the U.K.¡¯s long-delayed Defense Investment Plan (DIP), comes amid expectations that the next international contract for the Global Combat Air Program?(GCAP) will be signed imminently, extending the current development agreement through the end of 2027.
¡°We will invest ?8.6 billion in the program with Japan and Italy to develop the next, sixth-generation combat aircraft,¡± the British government said in the plan, adding that it would ink the next contract ¡°shortly¡± while continuing its ¡°significant investment¡± in research and development, design and capabilities for GCAP and its broader future combat aviation program of which GCAP is the centerpiece.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.