Poland eyes benefits of joining GCAP sixth-generation fighter project

WARSAW, Poland — Polish Deputy State Assets Minister Konrad Gołota has announced that Poland is considering to join the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP), aiming to involve its defense sector in the project to develop a sixth-generation fighter jet.

Gołota told public broadcaster TVP Info the government considers engaging Poland’s state-dominated defense industry in the tri-nation initiative, which is spearheaded by Italy, Japan and the United Kingdom, to boost the sector’s capacities and innovativeness.

“Today, we need to make up for some delays in this area, because, over the past decades, we have not produced aircraft in Poland, so our aviation industry requires development,” the official said.

The deputy minister also stated that Polish officials have already discussed the project with Italian and Japanese stakeholders, but he did not disclose the status of talks at the government level.

“Over the past few months, I have spoken to representatives of the defense industries of both Italy and Japan,” Gołota said. “They are showing an understanding of our proposal, and willingness to have further talks.”

The discussions come amid a delay in the signing of a deal between the three countries, represented by the GCAP International Government Organisation (GIGO), and the Edgewing joint venture which represents national players Leonardo, BAE Systems, and Japan Aircraft Industrial Enhancement Co. Ltd., a company owned by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and the Society of Japanese Aerospace Companies.

The latest development comes as Warsaw is analyzing whether to purchase an additional two squadrons of fighters for the nation’s Air Force. The available options include buying 32 more Lockheed Martin F-35s on top of the 32 jets Warsaw ordered in 2020, or alternatively selecting one of the two air superiority aircraft: the Eurofighter Typhoon or Boeing’s F-15EX fighter, as indicated by Polish military officials.

Jaroslaw Adamowski is the Poland correspondent for Defense News.

波兰华沙——波兰国家资产部副部长康拉德·戈沃塔宣布，波兰正在考虑加入全球作战空中计划（GCAP），旨在让其国防部门参与到第六代战斗机的研发项目中。

戈沃塔告诉公共广播公司 TVP Info，政府正在考虑让波兰国有的国防工业参与由意大利、日本和英国牵头的三国倡议，以提高该行业的能力和创新能力。

“如今，我们需要弥补这方面的一些延误，因为在过去的几十年里，波兰没有生产过飞机，所以我们的航空工业需要发展，”这位官员说。

副部长还表示，波兰官员已经与意大利和日本的利益相关者讨论了该项目，但他没有透露政府层面的谈判进展情况。

戈沃塔表示：“过去几个月，我与意大利和日本国防工业的代表都进行了交谈。他们对我们的提议表示理解，并愿意进行进一步的会谈。”

此次讨论正值三国（由GCAP国际政府组织（GIGO）代表）与Edgewing合资企业（代表莱昂纳多、BAE系统公司和日本飞机工业增强有限公司，后者是一家由三菱重工和日本航空航天公司协会拥有的公司）之间的协议签署延迟之际。

最新进展是，华沙方面正在分析是否为波兰空军增购两个中队的战斗机。波兰军方官员表示，可行的方案包括在2020年订购的32架F-35战斗机基础上再增购32架洛克希德·马丁公司生产的F-35，或者从两款空中优势战机中选择一款：欧洲台风战斗机或波音公司的F-15EX战斗机。

Jaroslaw Adamowski 是《防务新闻》驻波兰记者。