Italy says more nations could join GCAP fighter jet project

Canada has expressed significant interest in joining GCAP as an observer, and Italy is fully open to this possibility. Crosetto also indicated a willingness to include Germany or Saudi Arabia, emphasizing that broader participation would increase the chances of successfully developing the project and reducing costs.

The GCAP initiative is a collaboration between Britain's BAE Systems, Italy's Leonardo, and Japan Aircraft Industrial Enhancement (JAIEC), backed by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. The partners aim to have the next-generation fighter jet ready by 2035.

This development follows a recent decision by Germany and France to abandon their own joint project for a new-generation fighter jet due to disagreements between their respective arms firms. The chief executive of Leonardo recently suggested that Germany would be a valuable partner for GCAP, bringing significant industrial expertise.