Guido Crosetto, the Italian Defence Minister, has caused controversy by claiming that the UK has not fully shared technology with Italy and Japan on its next-generation fighter jet project, Tempest. Crosetto stressed that London must remove the “barriers of selfishness” and suggested that some information was being withheld from partners.
“Selfishness is the Greatest Enemy of Nations”
The Italian Minister did not give details about what technologies the UK has hidden, but said: "There is no one left who wants to defend old heritages, which can be considered first or second-class. You have to break down some barriers of selfishness. Italy has completely broken them, Japan almost completely. It seems to me that the UK is much more reluctant to do this, and that is a mistake, because selfishness is the greatest enemy of nations."
Statement from the Italian Ministry of Defense
Despite Crosetto’s criticism, the Italian Defense Ministry said the GCAP (Global Combat Air Programme) project was “a leading example of the power of joint programs.” “The technologies we are developing and the capabilities we are building together are at the cutting edge of science and engineering. Together, we will launch one of the world’s most advanced combat aircraft into the skies,” a ministry spokesman said.
GCAP Project and Partnership Structure
The UK, Italy and Japan announced last year that they would form a joint venture to develop the next-generation fighter jet, a significant step up from their initial agreement in 2022. UK-based BAE Systems, Italy’s Leonardo and Japan’s Aircraft Industrial Enhancement (JAIEC) will each hold an equal 33,3% stake in the partnership.
Other Countries Interested in the Project
There are also requests from other countries such as India and Saudi Arabia to join the GCAP project. Japan-based Sankei news portal confirmed that India wants to join the 6th generation fighter jet program, citing statements from Japanese officials and Indian diplomats.
Potential Contribution of Saudi Arabia
Roberto Cingolani, CEO and general manager of the Italian defense company Leonardo, stated that Saudi Arabia could create industrial capacity for GCAP by taking an active role in the production of Eurofighter fighter jets and NH90 helicopters. Cingolani said, “A certain process is required for a new partner to join GCAP quickly but in a balanced manner, and this process should take into account the industrial capacity of the partner in question. This is not just about investing money, but also about active participation in production. The process of joining GCAP requires time. We should not waste this time, we should create as much industrial activity as possible. There are projects that we can work on together for this. The new Eurofighter order and NH90 production could provide a suitable basis for this. In the past, we were only selling, now we propose to produce together.”
