Overview
- Edgewing, the joint venture of BAE Systems, Leonardo and Japan Aircraft Industrial Enhancement Co, was awarded the £4.6 billion contract by the GCAP Agency on July 3, 2026 to run an 18-month advanced concept and detailed design phase through 31 December 2027.
- The contract follows an initial £686 million award in April 2026 and is jointly financed by the UK, Italy and Japan to define requirements, run testing and prepare demonstrators ahead of a target in‑service date of 2035.
- The UK’s Defence Investment Plan separately committed £8.6 billion of UK funding over four years to support the programme and to protect supply‑chain work and skilled manufacturing jobs across Britain.
- Work under the contract will be delivered by trinational consortia for sensors, communications and power and propulsion and will also support the planned Combat Air Flying Demonstrator and other flight test activity through 2027.
- The June collapse of a rival Franco‑German fighter effort has increased interest in GCAP expansion, though any new partner would need the agreement of the three founding nations and would join at levels agreed by the founders.