Italy, UK Extend Invitation to India for Collaborative Development of GCAP 6th-Gen Fighter Jet Program

In a move that could significantly reshape the landscape of international defence collaboration, the United Kingdom and Italy have voiced their support for inviting India to join the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP). This ambitious initiative, which already includes Japan, aims to develop a sixth-generation stealth fighter jet by 2035.

This isn't the first time India has been approached to participate. Two years ago, the UK extended an initial invitation for India to join the Tempest Project, the precursor to the current GCAP.

Now, with Italy also expressing enthusiasm, the prospect of India's involvement has gained renewed momentum. Italy's keenness to bring India on board stems from a strategic desire to expand the partnership and share the immense costs associated with developing such cutting-edge technology.

The inclusion of more partners like India in the GCAP offers benefits beyond just cost-sharing. It allows for the leveraging of collective technological expertise, potentially leading to reduced unit costs and overall production expenses. Each additional partner brings unique innovations, manufacturing capabilities, and market access to the table, making the resulting fighter jet more competitive in both performance and price.

While the final cost of this multi-billion-dollar project remains undisclosed, the collaborative framework is expected to significantly mitigate the financial burden on each individual nation.

For India, joining the GCAP would be a significant step. It would mean entering a select group of nations at the forefront of developing the most advanced fighter jets in the world. Participation would not only bolster India's defence capabilities but also provide a major boost to its aerospace industry through exposure to state-of-the-art technology and collaborative research and development.

India's own Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) program could potentially benefit from shared technology and insights gained through this collaboration.

This invitation underscores India's growing prominence in the global defence landscape and presents a unique opportunity for the nation to contribute to and benefit from a cutting-edge, international fighter jet program.

 

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[R. Singh]

India must join EU 6th gen fighter jet program !

 

[India1st]

Induction of AMCA may occur after 2035 or beyond, if GCAP is promised at the same timeline, India must grab the opportunity without any delay.

 

[opns]

India must do this without any delay

 

[sanket]

They just want to secure fighter jet orders, but they can't make Bharat a manufacturing hub for fighter jets with an ecosystem. Joining Tempest means dependency on others, as per work share, each country will be manufacturing components, and so at last, all stakeholders will depend on each other, while AMCA will have 100% ownership & profit. There is no way for Atmanirbhar at all.

 

[Prateek]

It's not a bad thing. HAL can't build a 6th gen fighter on its own, anyway.

 

[abhinav srivastava]

WE should consider participating in engine for 6th gen jet with shared IP.

 

[sanket]

It's not a bad thing. HAL can't build a 6th gen fighter on its own, anyway.

These countries have a shortage of funds. Second, they think India may purchase at least 100 fighter jets. If India doesn't join the project, they have to sell this fighter jet to third-world countries. Already South Korea/Indonesia, Turkey, France/Germany have their own projects going on for fighter jets. Finding buyers will be difficult. The rest don't have the money to buy even one squadron of fourth-generation fighter jets. They have to take care that it will not fall into the wrong hands. Lastly, they have to give/arrange loans to purchase this Tempest jet for third-world countries, which will find it difficult to pay back the loans or recover even the invested funds for the Tempest fighter jet project.

 

[PKPRS]

WE should consider participating in engine for 6th gen jet with shared IP.

Japan is making the engine, so there is no way we will get IP.

 

[SR]

They want someone to fund the program and, most importantly, pay to buy those jets so they don't go to the wrong hands. No country—South Korea or any NATO country—will ever buy them. They can't sell to the Middle East. African countries can't buy such expensive jets, so only India fills the criteria. They will just loot our money.

 

[Anupom]

No need to join this project. We should focus on the AMCA development. And only join for the new 6th gen engine for our future needs.

 

[War is good for business]

Japan is making the engine, so there is no way we will get IP.

Japan is taking the lead, but the engine will, of course, be co-developed with RR.

 

[War is good for business]

They want someone to fund the program and, most importantly, pay to buy those jets so they don't go to the wrong hands. No country—South Korea or any NATO country—will ever buy them.

Yeah the UK and Italy are not in NATO

 

[Ysmir Rewari]

FCAS is far better than GCAP. Given France's reliability and Germany's increased focus on improving ties with India. With GCAP Japan is the only partner that's trustable.

 

[cripes]

FCAS only exists on a PowerPoint slide.

 

[kumar]

WE should consider participating in engine for 6th gen jet with shared IP.

They want us to involve on thier terms and conditions and get a guaranteed market for fighters and fund the program too and we will not get any capability addition for funds spent. So it is loss to us all the way.
This is keeping aside the geopolitics part of UK aside, which is emerging as the next hub for deep state.

 

[PKPRS]

Japan is taking the lead, but the engine will, of course, be co-developed with RR.

RR is giving few tech from F136 engine developed for F35 to the engine XF5 that was already made by Ishikawajima-Harima Heavy Industries (IHI) for Japanese F-X stealth program.

 

[SR]

Yeah the UK and Italy are not in NATO

Tell me any NATO country other than those who are manufacturing it, who will buy this costly bird in huge numbers?

 

[Anant]

Tell me any NATO country other than those who are manufacturing it, who will buy this costly bird in huge numbers?

None, simply because your question itself is, to an extent, baseless. None of the large nations in NATO (other than France, Italy, Germany, the UK, the US, and Spain and Sweden to a lesser extent) can afford large aircraft fleets. Of these, you have the US working on their own projects, Italy and the UK (along with Japan) working on the Tempest, and France, Germany, and Spain working on FCAS. That only leaves Sweden, which is ostensibly working on its own program but will probably join one of the two European programs.

 

[desigandu]

Good idea, if we can evaluate and see what the costs and benefits are! But AMCA must still be accelerated, and this is an insurance policy and strategic collaboration!

 

[desigandu]

None, simply because your question itself is, to an extent, baseless. None of the large nations in NATO (other than France, Italy, Germany, the UK, the US, and Spain and Sweden to a lesser extent) can afford large aircraft fleets. Of these, you have the US working on their own projects, Italy and the UK (along with Japan) working on the Tempest, and France, Germany, and Spain working on FCAS. That only leaves Sweden, which is ostensibly working on its own program but will probably join one of the two European programs.

No one except US and China, can alone bankroll say a $25-50B 6th gen development and rollout, thus it makes sense to pool resources and if NATO (less US) + Japan + potentially Bharat can launch a program, while managing competing priorities and politics, it may be an idea worth pursuing….

Most countries will just bankroll development and buy planes, while a core group will be responsible for the development and IP!

 

[Reuben]

They can't sell to the Middle East.

Saudi Arabia has already expressed interest in the GCAP fighter. Australia is another likely market.

 

[Reuben]

FCAS is far better than GCAP. Given France's reliability and Germany's increased focus on improving ties with India. With GCAP Japan is the only partner that's trustable.

Isn't FCAS now already behind schedule, with 2050 looking like the likely in service date, whilst GCAP prototypes are under construction?

 

[zxcvbnm]

They just want to secure fighter jet orders, but they can't make Bharat a manufacturing hub for fighter jets with an ecosystem. Joining Tempest means dependency on others, as per work share, each country will be manufacturing components, and so at last, all stakeholders will depend on each other, while AMCA will have 100% ownership & profit. There is no way for Atmanirbhar at all.

It is not a bad thing to join it, we will get access to crucial know-hows, our jet programs are not as mature as theirs so it may actually turn out to be a good thing like south korea.

 

[Surendra Barsode]

India must join this group and take advantage of technology developments and cost sharing. We should not mind compromising on full ToT etc when we are part of a multinational effort. We should look to develop and deepen defense collaboration with Japan which also treats China as enemy no 1!

 

[prasant kumar shaarma]

They want us to involve on thier terms and conditions and get a guaranteed market for fighters and fund the program too and we will not get any capability addition for funds spent. So it is loss to us all the way.
This is keeping aside the geopolitics part of UK aside, which is emerging as the next hub for deep state.

We can always purchase this plane even without participating in this project. Both Russia and the UK-led consortium need our money. I suspect if we join the other camp, we may lose niche technology from Russia, which the other camp will never give us even if we join them.

 

[Rinku Pandey]

we may lose niche technology from Russia, which the other camp will never give us even if we join them.

Which niche tech Russia is sharing with India?

 

[prasant kumar shaarma]

Which niche tech Russia is sharing with India?

Nuclear-powered submarines: SSBN, SSN, and so on.

Russia may be one or two steps behind the USA/Europe, but it gave us its best technology (barring a few exceptions).

Don't forget, whatever the West is offering to us is only because Russia has put us in such a position that unless they offer us better than what Russia is offering, we won't be enticed.

Still, whereas Russia is offering us its best aircraft, e.g., the Su-57, the USA is not offering its F-35.

 

[Abhishek Singhabhishek]

@sanket
The development timeline is long term, sharing cost and collaboration with non-hostile countries is a priority, sales is not an immediate concern.

And we on our own can't make 6th gen fighter, at least until others move forward and the tech is outdated.