Italy's parliament approves 8.8 billion euros for GCAP jet fighter programme

Italy's parliament on Thursday backed ​an almost 9-billion-euro ($10.7 billion) funding plan ​for a jet-fighter programme with Britain ‌and ​Japan, a flagship defence project whose expected costs have more than tripled from early estimates.

The Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP) was launched ‌by Italy, Britain and Japan in December 2022 to deliver a next-generation fighter by 2035, integrating crewed and uncrewed platforms, sensors and data networks. The defence committee of the lower house of parliament approved ‌a government proposal to commit 8.77 billion euros for GCAP's initial phases, to be ‌spent by 2037, a parliamentary document showed.

The committee's vote is final, so the full chamber does not need to sign off. Italy now expects early-phase GCAP costs to reach 18.6 billion euros, up from around 6 billion ⁠euros at ​2021 prices when the ⁠programme was first drawn up, the document showed.

"That projected cost estimate has been updated over time to take ⁠into account rising technology-maturation, testing, development and design costs," the document said. GCAP is being developed by ​a joint venture of Britain's BAE Systems, Italy's Leonardo and Japan Aircraft Industrial Enhancement (JAIEC), which ⁠is backed by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries.

The Italian approval comes as the rival French-German-Spanish Future Combat Air System programme faces industrial ⁠friction ​and looming political decisions on its future. In December, Italy said Germany and Australia could be interested in joining GCAP. Italian media reported that Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and German ⁠Chancellor Friedrich Merz discussed the issue at a summit in Rome last month.

Italian Foreign Minister Antonio ⁠Tajani said on ⁠Wednesday he was open to potential expansion. "If there are other countries (willing to join), I am personally not against," he told broadcaster Sky tg24. ($1 = ‌0.8420 euros)