PM Starmer highlights UK warplane capability as crucial amid defense review

• Prime Minister Keir Starmer emphasizes the importance of Britain’s fighter jet capability.
• Speculation suggests the GCAP could be downgraded or scrapped following a defense policy review.
• Starmer acknowledges the review but notes GCAP’s significant progress.

On Monday, Prime Minister Keir Starmer stressed the importance of Britain’s fighter jet capability but stopped short of guaranteeing that the next-generation combat air program with Japan and Italy would remain unaffected by the defense policy review.

“It’s important for me to put on record just how important a program this is,” Starmer said at the opening day of the Farnborough Airshow on Monday.

Last year, Britain, Japan, and Italy signed an international treaty to establish the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP), combining their separate next-generation fighter projects to introduce a new aircraft by 2035. However, speculation has arisen that Starmer’s new Labour government might downgrade or scrap the program following the launch of a defense review, which will be reported next year.

Starmer noted the review, but said GCAP, also known as Tempest in Britain, was making “significant progress.”

“It is an important program and I know that people in the room will want to hear me say that,” he said.

“The defense secretary is holding a ministerial-level meeting (…) about this because of the significant benefits here in this country.”

Britain’s largest defense company, BAE Systems, and aero-engineer Rolls-Royce are collaborating on the multibillion-pound project with Italy’s Leonardo and Japan’s Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. Herman Claesen, BAE’s managing director for the project, stated that the partners are working “at pace” towards launching international design and development next year.

He reported that progress on the “industrial construct” for developing the platform was strong, noting, “We are nearing completion on those activities in readiness for 2025.” Italy’s defense minister mentioned in January that the program could open up to additional participants later, with potential contenders like Saudi Arabia possibly joining the project.

Leonardo’s GCAP chief, Guglielmo Maviglia, stated that expanding the partnership to include Saudi Arabia is a matter for the involved governments.

“What we can say is that we are developing a construct that is able and is open for other partners,” he said. “Partners are important because of course the export market is relevant for the business case.”

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