BAE says its Eurofighter pipeline is filled until first GCAP assembly

PARIS – BAE Systems said the production pipeline for the Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jet is filled until the start of final assembly of the sixth-generation stealth aircraft being developed through the Global Combat Air Programme, or GCAP.

“The good news is that we now have production requirements all the way through to when we start doing final assembly of a GCAP capability, which is important,” BAE Chief Executive Officer Charles Woodburn told financial analysts in a call on Wednesday following the London-based company’s full-year earnings report.

Spain and Italy placed additional orders for the Eurofighter at the end of 2024, followed by Germany in October, with Turkey joining the program as a new customer that same month, with deliveries continuing into the mid 2030s. The GCAP program between the United Kingdom, Italy and Japan targets an entry into service in 2035 for the next-gen combat aircraft.

The Eurofighter consortium formed by Airbus, BAE and Leonardo announced plans in June 2025 to increase production of the aircraft to 20 jets a year by mid-2028 from annual production of 14, rising to 30 planes a year at a later point.

“We’ve talked before about sort of the pathway to doubling production rates, and I think we’re well on that, having secured Türkiye, and there are other opportunities,” Woodburn said. Regarding the multi-year plan to increase production rates, “we’re well on that journey, and we will adjust, if needed, upwards if we are successful in securing further orders,” the BAE CEO said.

BAE makes the front fuselage and the vertical stabilizer of the Eurofighter, Airbus makes the center fuselage and right-hand wing, Leonardo makes the left wing, while BAE together with Leonardo supplies the rear fuselage.

Woodburn said Eurofighter has additional opportunities for support and new aircraft sales, both from existing and new customers, and including potential new European orders. He said the latest missile systems from MBDA provide the aircraft with “extremely good capabilities.”

The Eurofighter can carry MBDA’s ramjet-powered Meteor, considered one of the world’s best beyond-visual-range air-to-air missiles, as well as the Storm Shadow cruise missile. The weapon package for Turkey’s purchase of the aircraft includes the Meteor, the prospect of which had raised alarm in Greece in early 2025.

The GCAP program is “making really good progress,” according to Woodburn, who said BAE is “delighted” with the partnership it has.

Asked whether GCAP would be able to accommodate Airbus as a partner in case the French-German-Spanish Future Combat Air System program falls apart, Woodburn avoided specifics. The competing program to develop a sixth-generation fighter has stalled amid bickering between Airbus and Dassault Aviation over control and work share.

“The decisions around expanding the partnership are entirely down to the three governments of Italy, Japan and the U.K.,” the CEO said. “There’s really not much more I can comment on that, apart from the fact that we have a really strong partnership that is making great progress and moving at pace.”

Europe is becoming an increasingly important part of BAE’s business, with 2025 reported sales in the region climbing 28%, compared to overall sales growth of 8% for the company. The United States is the biggest market for BAE, followed by the U.K.

Europe accounted for 32% of the BAE order book at the end of December, while accounting for 11% of sales in 2025, according to Woodburn, who said he expects “significant growth” there over the next five years as the company works “as we build out that backlog.”

BAE expects to benefit from rising defense spending on the continent, both through its local businesses such as Hägglunds in Sweden and its stakes in Eurofighter and MBDA, as well as by partnering with companies such as PGZ in Poland, which can benefit from the European Union’s defense loans program, according to the CEO.

“In our order outlook, we’re expecting significant growth in Europe, and it’s a combination of selling in from our UK business, but very importantly, strongly enhanced by our footprint already within Europe, and specifically the EU.”

Rudy Ruitenberg is a Europe correspondent for Defense News. He started his career at Bloomberg News and has experience reporting on technology, commodity markets and politics.

巴黎——英国航空航天系统公司（BAE Systems）表示，欧洲台风战斗机的生产计划已经排满，直到通过全球作战航空计划（GCAP）开发的第六代隐形飞机开始最终组装为止。

“好消息是，我们现在已经有了从开始进行 GCAP 能力最终组装到最终组装的整个生产需求，这非常重要，” BAE 首席执行官查尔斯·伍德伯恩在周三与金融分析师的电话会议上表示。此前，这家总部位于伦敦的公司发布了全年收益报告。

西班牙和意大利于2024年底追加订购了台风战斗机，德国随后于10月也下了订单，土耳其也在同月加入该项目成为新客户，交付工作将持续到2030年代中期。英国、意大利和日本之间的全球协同作战能力提升计划（GCAP）的目标是使这款下一代战斗机在2035年投入使用。

由空客、BAE 和莱昂纳多组成的欧洲战斗机联盟于 2025 年 6 月宣布计划，到 2028 年年中将该型飞机的年产量从 14 架增加到 20 架，并在之后某个时候增加到 30 架。

伍德伯恩表示：“我们之前讨论过如何将产量翻一番，我认为我们在这方面进展顺利，已经拿下了土耳其的订单，而且还有其他机会。” 关于提高产量的多年计划，这位BAE系统公司首席执行官表示：“我们正朝着这个目标稳步前进，如果成功获得更多订单，我们将根据需要向上调整产量。”

BAE 制造欧洲战斗机的前机身和垂直尾翼，空客制造中机身和右翼，莱昂纳多制造左翼，而 BAE 与莱昂纳多共同提供后机身。

伍德伯恩表示，欧洲战斗机公司在支持和新飞机销售方面拥有更多机会，包括来自现有客户和新客户的潜在订单，以及潜在的欧洲新订单。他还表示，MBDA公司最新的导弹系统为该型飞机提供了“极其强大的性能”。

欧洲战斗机可携带MBDA公司生产的冲压式喷气发动机驱动的“流星”导弹，该导弹被认为是世界上最好的超视距空空导弹之一，此外还可携带“风暴阴影”巡航导弹。土耳其购买该型战机的武器包中包含“流星”导弹，而该导弹的前景曾在2025年初引起希腊的担忧。

伍德伯恩表示，GCAP 项目“进展非常顺利”，BAE 对双方的合作关系感到“非常满意”。

当被问及如果法德西未来作战空中系统（FCA）项目破裂，GCAP是否能够接纳空客作为合作伙伴时，伍德伯恩回避了具体细节。这项旨在研发第六代战斗机的竞争项目，由于空客和达索航空之间就控制权和工作分工问题争执不下，目前已陷入停滞。

首席执行官表示：“是否扩大合作伙伴关系完全由意大利、日本和英国三国政府决定。除了我们拥有非常牢固的合作伙伴关系，并且正在取得巨大进展、快速发展之外，我真的没什么可说的了。”

欧洲在BAE系统公司业务中的重要性日益凸显，预计到2025年，该公司在该地区销售额将增长28%，而同期公司整体销售额仅增长8%。美国是BAE系统公司最大的市场，其次是英国。

伍德伯恩表示，截至 12 月底，欧洲占 BAE 订单总额的 32%，预计到 2025 年，欧洲销售额将占 11%。他还表示，随着公司“逐步完成积压订单”，他预计未来五年欧洲市场将出现“显著增长”。

据首席执行官称，BAE 预计将受益于欧洲大陆不断增长的国防开支，这既包括其在瑞典的 Hägglunds 等本土企业，也包括其在欧洲战斗机公司和 MBDA 的股份，此外还包括与波兰 PGZ 等公司合作，这些公司可以从欧盟的国防贷款计划中受益。

“从订单展望来看，我们预计欧洲市场将出现显著增长，这得益于我们英国业务的销售，但更重要的是，我们在欧洲，特别是欧盟的现有业务布局也极大地促进了这一增长。”

鲁迪·鲁伊滕贝格是《防务新闻》的欧洲记者。他的职业生涯始于彭博新闻社，拥有报道科技、大宗商品市场和政治方面的经验。