14th December 2023
On 14th December, Italian Defence Minister Guido Crosetto, Japanese Defense Minister Minoru Kihara and UK Secretary of Defence Grant Shapps, met in Tokyo for a GCAP Trilateral Defence Ministerial and confirmed the following points:
- Acknowledging the progress made since the announcement of the December 2022 Joint Leaders’ Statement by the three Prime Ministers and the launching of the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP), the three Ministers signed today the CONVENTION ON THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE “GLOBAL COMBAT AIR PROGRAMME - GCAP INTERNATIONAL GOVERNMENT ORGANISATION” to lay a solid basis not only for delivering a next-generation fighter aircraft by 2035 but also for further enhancing the defence industrial base of each country.
- The three Ministers also welcomed the progress made by industry partners to launch the joint business construct, which will be an industry counterpart of the GCAP International Government Organisation (the GIGO), to support capable, affordable and timely programme delivery, including the 2035 in service date. The three Ministers confirmed the work distribution will be proportionate to each country’s contribution by financial and technical means under the spirit of equal partnership.
- The three Ministers concurred that the headquarters of the GIGO and corresponding joint business construct will be located in the UK and, in order to ensure and foster an effective and well balanced partnership among the three countries, the first chief executive of the GCAP Agency will be from Japan, and the first chief executive officer of the joint business construct will be from Italy.
- The three Ministers reaffirmed their strong and personal commitment to deepening trilateral cooperation for the common objectives of GCAP and ensuring its continued success.
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