Italy said on Saturday it fully supports Germany joining the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP), the three-nation project to build a sixth-generation fighter jet, rejecting reports that Rome had sought to block Berlin from taking part.
In a statement, the Italian government said a Financial Times report suggesting it had opposed Germany’s entry was “entirely misleading” and did not reflect Rome’s longstanding position. Italy said it had always been willing to welcome Germany into the programme and had proposed that Berlin initially join on an observer-only basis, to speed up information-sharing and smooth its path to full membership.
Rome said the proposal was designed to accelerate Germany’s involvement while protecting the programme’s timetable, and was not intended to restrict Berlin’s future role. Italy restated its position during the latest GCAP videoconference of the programme’s three partner nations, calling German participation “a positive opportunity”.
GCAP brings together Italy, Britain and Japan to develop a next-generation fighter aircraft, with a target in-service date of 2035. The industrial effort is led by Leonardo of Italy, BAE Systems of Britain and Japan’s Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. The project grew out of Britain’s Tempest programme and Japan’s F-X effort, and aims to deliver a sixth-generation stealth jet alongside uncrewed aircraft, advanced sensors and networked weapons systems.
Germany has been searching for a new fighter partner since its Future Combat Air System (FCAS) partnership with France collapsed in June 2026 after long-running disputes over industrial workshare and leadership. Britain opened the door to German participation in October, when Prime Minister Andy Burnham told a press conference in Berlin that London was open to Germany joining GCAP and would pursue the idea with its Italian and Japanese partners.
Berlin has not yet decided whether to join. German officials have said only that initial coordination talks have taken place, and internal German documents reported by Politico suggest parts of the German defence establishment favour a different partnership, possibly with Sweden and Spain. Japan, which plans to begin retiring its F-2 fighters in the mid-2030s, is reported to be more cautious about admitting a new partner that could delay the programme’s tight timetable.
Executives from Airbus, which would carry Germany’s industrial stake into any deal, were reported last month to be preparing talks with BAE Systems about a possible role in GCAP. Neither company has confirmed the discussions, and no final decisions are expected soon.
(File photo: a concept model of the Tempest fighter, the British project from which GCAP grew.)
Sources: Reuters — “Italy says it backs Germany joining next-generation fighter jet project”, 14 November 2026 (https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/italy-says-it-backs-germany-joining-next-generation-fighter-jet-project-2026-11-14/)
