Britain, Italy, and Japan Sign $6.14 Billion Contract to Develop Stealth Fighter

The British government announced on Friday the awarding of a $6.14 billion contract in partnership with Italy and Japan for the joint industrial project "Edgewing," which aims to develop a new stealth fighter as part of the global combat air program. This agreement marks the transition of the project into its next development phase.

Earlier, on Tuesday, Britain pledged £8.6 billion to the program after a nine-month delay caused by military budget pressures. This funding commitment covers its share of the tri-national project over four years as part of efforts to enhance defense capabilities.

In a statement, British Minister of State for Defence Procurement, Luke Pollard, said, "The global combat air program will provide our pilots with an advanced stealth aircraft. Signing this £4.6 billion contract with Italy and Japan is a significant step towards delivering these aircraft," according to Reuters.

This contract award follows the collapse of a competing French-German fighter development project in June, which unsettled European defense alliances and increased the possibility of other countries seeking to join the program.

The development is being led by British company BAE Systems, Italian firm Leonardo, and Japan's Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. Their objective is to produce a sixth-generation stealth warplane entering service by 2035.

In June, the Italian Defence Minister indicated that allowing additional countries to join the program could help share costs.

Leonardo noted that Germany would be a suitable partner due to its industrial expertise, while Saudi Arabia and Canada have expressed interest in the project.

Any expansion of the program's membership requires approval from the three current countries. Former executives have suggested that future entry opportunities might be offered with varying levels of participation.

BAE Systems previously stated that the fighter jets will be three to four meters longer than the Typhoon fighter and designed for long-range missions.