A Eurofighter Typhoon in the Spanish Air Force flies near the Canary Islands in September 2023. The same nations that built the Eurofighter are now at work on the GCAP, Europe’s sixth-generation fighter entry. (Shutterstock/Peter R Foster IDMA)

Europe Just Threw Another $6 Billion at the GCAP Sixth-Gen Fighter Project

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The collapse of the competing FCAS program makes the GCAP Europe’s only sixth-generation fighter jet—so the project must be completed to maintain defense autonomy from the United States.

The Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP), a joint sixth-generation fighter effort led by the United Kingdom, Italy, and Japan, has received a $6.1 billion contract to continue concept development. The funding, awarded by the “GCAP Agency” established between the three nations to the Edgewing consortium that is leading the development, should cover the next 18 months of engineering work on the prospective fighter jet.

The announcement comes shortly after GCAP’s rival program, the Future Combat Air System (FCAS), effectively collapsed, leaving the GCAP as Europe’s only active sixth-generation fighter development program.

What Will the New GCAP Funding Be Used For?

The funding will allow GCAP to transition from early concept work toward increasingly detailed aircraft design, demonstrating a continued........

© The National Interest