UK defense plan to unlock fresh GCAP contract before Farnborough Airshow

ROME — The tri-nation industrial consortium behind the GCAP fighter program is set to get its next major contract before the Farnborough airshow this month, after the U.K. came up with essential funding on the day that cash flow for the jet was due to run out.

Sources close to the program told Defense News the next contract was made possible by the U.K.’s timely commitment of £8.6 billion ($11.4 billion) over four years to the U.K.-Italy-Japan jet program in its its long-awaited Defence Investment Plan (DIP) , which was published on Tuesday.

The cash means the three nations can now hand a contract before the biennial U.K. airshow near London to Edgewing, the industrial consortium representing firms from the three nations, said the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Originally due last year, the U.K. DIP was delayed as generals and politicians battled over defense funds. With little sign of the row abating, the U.K.’s partners on the sixth generation GCAP grew increasingly anxious over delays in the program, which is due to put a plane in the air by 2035.

In April the partners signed a stopgap contract to keep work going for three months to give the U.K. time to find long-term cash.

The joint program office created by the three nations announced the signing of a £686 million development contract with Edgewing, which teams local champions BAE Systems, Leonardo, and Japan Aircraft Industrial Enhancement Co. Ltd. (JAIEC).

On Tuesday, three months on, the DIP was unveiled by outgoing UK prime minister Keir Starmer, saving blushes in London.

“The money for the GCAP in the DIP is slightly more than the £6bn we expected,” said Francis Tusa, the editor of UK site Defence Analysis.

Getting the cash was not however certain, he added.

“The Italians were irritated by the U.K. delay and the Japanese even more so. I was told that the Japanese prime minister threatened to pull out of a planned visit to the U.K. before the G7 in June and go and see the French instead,” he said.

During the U.K. visit by the Japanese, Prime Minister Starmer signed a commitment to find the funds, Tusa said.

It is believed that Andy Burnham, who is likely to become Britain’s next prime minister, will seek to stand by the GCAP commitments.

After Edgewing is handed a contract to continue work on GCAP, it is expected to hand its own contracts to tri-nation consortia managing the electronics and propulsion on the jet.

Tusa said the way forward for the jet was not entirely risk-free.

“The British defense ministry wanted £28 billion for the DIP and has received £15 billion, of which £4.7 billion still needs to be found in this year’s budget. Additionally the ministry has to come up with £10.7 billion in savings. The GCAP money announced now by the U.K. will get the Italians and the Japanese off its back for now, but there are still details to be worked out,” he said.

Tom Kington is the Italy correspondent for Defense News.

罗马——负责 GCAP 战斗机项目的三国工业联盟有望在本月范堡罗航展之前获得下一份重大合同，此前，英国在该战斗机资金即将耗尽的当天提供了必要的资金。

接近该项目的消息人士告诉《防务新闻》，下一份合同的签订得益于英国及时承诺在四年内向英国-意大利-日本联合研制的喷气式飞机项目提供 86 亿英镑（114 亿美元）的资金，这是英国期待已久的国防投资计划 (DIP) 的一部分，该计划于周二发布。

消息人士称，有了这笔资金，这三个国家现在可以在伦敦附近举行的两年一度的英国航展之前，将合同授予代表这三个国家企业的工业联盟 Edgewing。该消息人士要求匿名。

英国国防投资计划（DIP）原定于去年启动，但由于将军和政客们就国防经费问题争执不下而被推迟。这场争端丝毫没有缓和的迹象，英国第六代通用航空推进系统（GCAP）项目的合作伙伴们对该项目的延误日益感到焦虑。该项目原计划在2035年前实现首架飞机的试飞。

今年四月，双方签署了一份临时合同，以维持工程三个月，让英国有时间寻找长期资金。

由三国联合成立的项目办公室宣布与 Edgewing 公司签署了一份价值 6.86 亿英镑的开发合同。Edgewing 公司由英国本土龙头企业 BAE Systems、Leonardo 和日本飞机工业增强有限公司 (JAIEC) 组成。

三个月后的周二，即将卸任的英国首相基尔·斯塔默公布了《国防投资协定》，避免了伦敦的尴尬局面。

英国网站《国防分析》的编辑弗朗西斯·图萨表示：“国防投资计划中用于全球防务行动计划的资金略高于我们预期的 60 亿英镑。”

但他补充说，能否拿到现金还不能确定。

他说：“英国的拖延让意大利人很恼火，日本人更是如此。我听说日本首相威胁说，他将取消原定于6月七国集团峰会前访问英国的计划，转而访问法国。”

图萨说，在日本人访问英国期间，首相斯塔默签署了一项承诺，将筹集资金。

据信，很可能成为英国下一任首相的安迪·伯纳姆将力求履行全球合作行动计划（GCAP）的承诺。

Edgewing 获得继续参与 GCAP 项目的合同后，预计将把自己的合同授予负责管理喷气式飞机电子设备和推进系统的三国联合体。

图萨表示，该喷气式飞机的未来发展道路并非完全没有风险。

“英国国防部希望为国防投资计划（DIP）拨款280亿英镑，目前已收到150亿英镑，其中47亿英镑仍需在今年的预算中筹集。此外，国防部还需节省107亿英镑。英国现在宣布的全球能力建设援助计划（GCAP）资金将暂时平息意大利和日本的施压，但仍有一些细节需要敲定，”他说道。

汤姆·金顿是《防务新闻》驻意大利记者。