Vendors team up on sensors, comms systems for GCAP next-gen fighter

ROME — British, Italian and Japanese firms set to build sensors and communications systems for the GCAP fighter have formed a UK-based consortium ready to sign a design and development contract with the platform’s lead integrators.

Known as GCAP Electronics Evolution (G2E), the consortium groups Leonardo and ELT Group from Italy, Leonardo UK and Mitsubishi Electric representing Japan, the firms said at the DSEI show in London.

Led by Leonardo UK manager Andrew Howard, G2E will be based in Reading near London, close to the office of GIGO, the Italy-UK-Japan government office running GCAP, and Edgewing, the tri-nation industrial joint venture set up by integrators BAE Systems (UK), Leonardo (Italy) and Japan Aircraft Industrial Enhancement Co. Ltd. (Japan).

“We can’t be an arms length supplier, we need to be deeply embedded on the program and this is the next piece of the jigsaw on GCAP after GIGO and Edgewing,” said Howard, who is currently Director Future Combat Air UK, Leonardo UK FCAS.

The consortium marks the next step in the team-up between the firms after they signed a collaboration deal at DSEI Japan in 2023.

“It’s the next chapter. We have been proving our technology on the UK Tempest fighter program since 2018, then working with our international partners and now the requirement has given us enough to set up work sharing and play to our strengths,” said Howard.

“The governments are satisfied their national champions have the skill sets,” he added.

In a statement released on Sept. 9, the firms said, “The four companies will work together to deliver the next-generation combat aircraft’s advanced sensing and communication system, known as Integrated Sensing and Non-Kinetic Effects & Integrated Communications Systems (ISANKE & ICS), as well as the system’s decades-long Through-Life Support Service (TLSS).”

It added, “The integration and exploitation of the vast amount of information that will be available in the future operational environment will be one of the key differences that will set the GCAP core platform apart from previous generations of combat aircraft.”

Howard pointed out how the size, weight and power of the fighter would be affected by the sensors on board, not to mention the outer mold line.

“Next-generation philosophy is about deeper interdependency between sensors, power and design. We need deeper integration on all levels,” he said.

Tighter cooperation between integrators and sensor firms would also speed up the work, he said.

“The need to deliver capability is clear, the Japanese have been very clear about this, and it feels like we can press the accelerator now.

The ‘Getting to know you phase’ is over and the ‘Get on an do it’ phase is starting,” he added.

Howard did not say when G2E would receive its first contract from Edgewing, but claimed the new consortium would now be able to get its job done in the “ten-year window” it has to produce the GCAP fighter by the 2035 delivery deadline.

After delivery, he said, “We want software upgrades to flow through the structure until it retires.”

Working with Japan now means “the time zone creates a longer day,” he said.

Given their national strengths, it is likely the U.K. and Japanese firms will take the lead on radar work, Italy will lead on Infrared Search and Track systems and Japan will lead on satellite communications.

The lead representatives from each company in the consortium are Howard from Leonardo in the U.K., Pietro Vanotti from Leonardo in Italy, Alberto De Arcangelis from Elt Group and Tatsuya Hirao, from Mitsubishi Electronics.

Tom Kington is the Italy correspondent for Defense News.

罗马——英国、意大利和日本的公司将为 GCAP 战斗机建造传感器和通信系统，它们已组成一个总部位于英国的财团，准备与该平台的主要集成商签署设计和开发合同。

该联盟名为 GCAP Electronics Evolution (G2E)，由来自意大利的 Leonardo 和 ELT 集团、代表日本的 Leonardo UK 和三菱电机组成，这些公司在伦敦举行的 DSEI 展会上表示。

G2E 由 Leonardo 英国经理 Andrew Howard 领导，总部设在伦敦附近的雷丁，靠近 GIGO 办公室（GIGO 是负责 GCAP 的意大利、英国和日本政府机构）以及 Edgewing（Edgewing 是由集成商 BAE Systems（英国）、Leonardo（意大利）和日本飞机工业增强有限公司（日本）成立的三国工业合资企业）。

“我们不能做一个置身事外的供应商，我们需要深入参与到项目中来，这是继GIGO和Edgewing之后GCAP的下一个拼图，”霍华德说道，他目前是莱昂纳多英国未来作战航空（FCAS）的英国总监。

该联盟标志着两家公司在 2023 年日本国际防务展 (DSEI Japan) 上签署合作协议后，合作迈出了下一步。

“这是下一个篇章。自 2018 年以来，我们一直在英国的“暴风雨”战斗机项目中验证我们的技术，然后与我们的国际合作伙伴合作，现在的需求给了我们足够的空间来建立工作共享机制，并发挥我们的优势，”霍华德说。

他补充说：“各国政府都对他们的国家冠军具备所需的技能感到满意。”

在9月9日发布的一份声明中，这些公司表示：“这四家公司将共同努力，为下一代战斗机提供先进的传感和通信系统，即集成传感和非动能效应及集成通信系统（ISANKE & ICS），以及该系统长达数十年的全寿命周期支持服务（TLSS）。”

报告还补充道：“未来作战环境中大量可用信息的整合与利用，将是GCAP核心平台与前几代战斗机之间的关键区别之一。”

霍华德指出，战斗机的尺寸、重量和动力会受到机载传感器的影响，更不用说外形轮廓线了。

“下一代理念的核心在于传感器、电源和设计之间更深层次的相互依存。我们需要在各个层面进行更深层次的整合，”他说道。

他还表示，系统集成商和传感器公司之间更紧密的合作也将加快工作进度。

“提升能力的必要性很明确，日本人对此也表达得非常清楚，现在感觉我们可以加速推进了。”

“‘互相了解阶段’已经结束，‘开始行动阶段’即将开始，”他补充道。

霍华德没有透露 G2E 何时会从 Edgewing 获得第一份合同，但他声称，这个新成立的财团现在能够在“十年窗口期”内完成工作，在 2035 年交付期限前生产出 GCAP 战斗机。

交付完成后，他说：“我们希望软件升级能够贯穿整个架构，直到它退役为止。”

他说，现在与日本合作意味着“时区差异导致一天的时间更长”。

鉴于各自的国家实力，英国和日本公司很可能在雷达领域占据主导地位，意大利将在红外搜索和跟踪系统领域占据主导地位，而日本将在卫星通信领域占据主导地位。

联盟中各公司的首席代表分别是：英国 Leonardo 公司的 Howard、意大利 Leonardo 公司的 Pietro Vanotti、Elt Group 公司的 Alberto De Arcangelis 以及三菱电子公司的 Tatsuya Hirao。

汤姆·金顿是《防务新闻》驻意大利记者。