Overview
- On July 3, 2026 the GCAP Agency signed an 18-month, £4.6 billion contract with Edgewing to complete the advanced concept and progress joint detailed design through 31 December 2027.
- The award follows an interim £686 million contract in April and is underwritten by the UK’s Defence Investment Plan, which pledged £8.6 billion to GCAP over four years.
- Edgewing, the trinational engineering prime owned by BAE Systems, Leonardo and Japan Aircraft Industrial Enhancement Co., will act as the programme’s single design authority and delivery lead.
- Work funded by the contract will deepen efforts on sensors, digital engineering, AI and next-generation propulsion and will support a Combat Air Flying Demonstrator targeted to fly by the end of 2027.
- The programme already supports thousands of UK jobs and a wide supplier base, and the contract comes as interest in GCAP grows after the collapse of a rival Franco-German programme in June.