Germany is exploring possible ways to join the Edgewing Global Combat Air Program (GCAP), Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto revealed, as ongoing disputes over leadership and technology access continue to challenge the FCAS project.
As reported by Reuters on December 4, 2025, Germany may consider joining the Edgewing Global Combat Air Program (GCAP) in the coming years, Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto told lawmakers during a parliamentary hearing. His remarks—also noting inquiries from Australia, Saudi Arabia, and Canada—indicate that the trilateral fighter program led by Italy, the United Kingdom, and Japan is attracting wider international interest at a time when Germany’s own FCAS project continues to face political and industrial friction.
Crosetto said Germany could potentially enter GCAP, now known as Edgewing, at a later stage and stressed that work is underway to ensure a defined accession pathway for any state wishing to join. He also named Australia as a prospective partner and confirmed that Saudi Arabia and Canada have formally expressed interest, reflecting broader government-level evaluations of timelines, industrial models, and obligations for a next-generation fighter due in 2035. According to Crosetto, the founding partners operate on equal terms and envision a fighter that will work alongside drones in a combined system intended to expand operational options. He added that bringing in more participants increases investment, expands the industrial talent pool, improves economic returns, and can lower costs for existing partners. He also noted that Germany remains committed to the FCAS program but may reassess its options as industrial and political dynamics evolve, placing both programs within the same strategic landscape.
The Global Combat Air Program links Italy, the United Kingdom, and Japan in the development of a sixth-generation stealth fighter to replace the Eurofighter Typhoon in European service and the Mitsubishi F-2 in Japan. Formed by merging the UK’s Tempest initiative with Japan’s F-X program, GCAP is based on an equal-share model, with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, BAE Systems, and Leonardo leading airframe development, and Rolls-Royce, Avio Aero, and IHI collaborating on the engine. Around 9,000 personnel across more than 1,000 suppliers—600 in the UK and roughly 400 in Italy and Japan—support the program. A trilateral treaty signed in December 2023 created the GCAP International Government Organisation (GIGO) in the UK to oversee governance and requirements. Full development is set to begin in 2025, with a demonstrator expected before 2030 and entry into service targeted for 2035.
A key feature of GCAP is its integration of the crewed fighter with uncrewed platforms and a broader multi-domain network. Concept models show a large delta wing, increased internal volume for fuel, and a recessed weapons bay to maintain low observability while supporting heavy payloads. Officials have discussed significantly extended range—potentially enabling transatlantic crossings on internal fuel—and internal weapons capacity exceeding current fifth-generation fighters. The mission-systems architecture focuses on advanced data processing to control multiple uncrewed systems and operate deep inside contested airspace with limited support links. Technology maturation is underway through testbeds such as the Excalibur platform and the Tempest Combat Air Demonstrator, which will evaluate sensors, aerodynamics, weapons-bay systems, and the open-architecture Pyramid mission suite designed to simplify future upgrades.
Industrial consolidation advanced further with the launch of the Edgewing joint venture in June 2025, in which BAE Systems, Japan Aircraft Industrial Enhancement Co., and Leonardo each hold a 33.3% stake. Edgewing will handle design, development, and delivery of the aircraft while coordinating with GIGO. The venture includes development hubs across the partner nations, including UK headquarters, the main Italian hub at Torino Caselle, and multiple Japanese sites for airframe, propulsion, and electronics integration. Italy has committed €8.8 billion to the program, with Leonardo awarding approximately €100 million in GCAP-related R&D contracts to national suppliers. Japan has also updated its defense export rules to allow transfers of the jointly developed fighter to eligible countries under defined conditions. Meanwhile, the Electronics Evolution consortium—Mitsubishi Electric, ELT Group, Leonardo, and Leonardo UK—has been established to develop the ISANKE and ICS sensor and communications suite. These structures outline the framework that would govern any potential German participation.
By contrast, the FCAS program—shared by France, Germany, and Spain, with Belgium joining later—focuses on a Next Generation Weapon System combining a sixth-generation fighter, remote carriers, and a multi-domain combat cloud. FCAS aims to field a prototype by the late 2020s and enter service around 2040, replacing Rafales and Eurofighters. Industrial responsibilities are split among Dassault Aviation, Airbus, and Indra, with Safran and MTU cooperating on propulsion within the EUMET alliance. Despite its scale—national estimates reach up to €100 billion—FCAS progressed through concept and technology phases, though not without delays.
Tensions within FCAS have repeatedly surfaced, particularly around leadership, workshare, and intellectual-property protections. Dassault has demanded prime responsibility for the New Generation Fighter and resisted what it views as excessive dilution of authority, while Airbus argues that a more balanced, distributed structure is necessary for a program of this scale. Disputes over access to sensitive technologies and proprietary know-how have slowed movement into advanced phases such as Phase 1B and the demonstrator-focused Phase 2. Industry leaders have at times warned publicly that FCAS could fail without compromise, contributing to ongoing uncertainty.
In 2025, friction became more visible as French and German political leaders commented on industrial capabilities and workshare expectations. Reports that Dassault sought an 80% workshare on the fighter raised concerns in Germany about equitable industrial benefits. French Defence Minister Catherine Vautrin stated that Germany currently lacks the capacity to build a fighter independently and cannot rapidly acquire such expertise—comments interpreted in Berlin as signaling French reluctance to share leadership. German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius said FCAS could be canceled if key issues remained unresolved and noted he would raise the matter with French and Spanish counterparts once political transitions in Paris concluded. Meanwhile, German discussions increasingly referenced alternative options, including continuing FCAS without France, working with Sweden or the UK, or exploring GCAP, which some officials viewed as more mature and better structured. Belgium’s shift from observer to partner and then toward more F-35 purchases highlighted how flexible participation arrangements are influencing national decisions across Europe.
This brings us to Vautrin’s remarks and the issue of German industrial capacity. Germany maintains a complete fighter-aircraft industrial base capable of final assembly, structural production, engine development, subsystem integration, and long-term support. Airbus Defence and Space in Manching assembles, tests, and upgrades Eurofighter Typhoons—including recently contracted Tranche 5 jets ensuring production into the 2030s. Premium AEROTEC facilities in Augsburg and Varel manufacture major fuselage assemblies, composites, machined components, and load-bearing structures, giving Germany a major role in airframe production. Propulsion capability is anchored by EuroJet Turbo GmbH in Hallbergmoos and MTU Aero Engines in Munich, responsible for EJ200 engine modules, digital control systems, compressor work, and long-term fleet support.
Germany also supplies key structures for the F-35A center fuselage in the global supply chain and remains fully involved in Eurofighter Jagdflugzeug GmbH for program management and upgrades. German industry additionally handles AESA radar integration, electronic-warfare systems, and long-term modernization packages. A broad network of national suppliers supports avionics, flight controls, landing gear, weapons integration, and maintenance, giving Germany end-to-end industrial competencies necessary for modern fighter operations. However, long-term planning is now more uncertain due to FCAS tensions. Germany’s future industrial posture depends heavily on whether FCAS stabilizes, shifts in scope, or collapses—since the outcome will directly shape the country’s ability to maintain sovereign fighter-aircraft production beyond the Eurofighter era.
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