According to a plan agreed by the three countries, the contract was to have been signed in 2025. Asked earlier this month, Chief of Defence Staff Richard Knighton, said, “I do not have a date.”
Signing will get full-scale development underway. Delay will put the 2035 deployment date in doubt.
However development will still continue based on contracts between the three governments and the lead defence contractors – Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, BAE Systems and Leonardo.
Meanwhile UK military chiefs have pointed to a £28 billion shortfall in the defence budget.
The Global Air Combat Programme was launched in 2022 develop a superior fighter to the current U.S. F-35 to succeed the Japanese Air Self-Defense Force’s F-2 and the Eurofighter Typhoon.
