Italy’s sixth-generation fighter jet program with the United Kingdom and Japan, the Global Combat Air Program (GCAP), is still an open and flexible area for drone technology. Speaking at the Paris Air Show, Roberto Cingolani, CEO of Italian defense giant Leonardo, said that the conversion of its own M-345 or M-346 training jets into unmanned aerial vehicles is also being considered for the drone role in the program.
Evaluation Between Domestic Options and Baykar UAVs
Cingolani said these homemade options may come closest to the high-performance unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) features that the GCAP program’s engineers are looking for, adding to a range of products such as the jet-powered Kızılelma UAV from Turkish company Baykar, which recently became a joint venture partner in GCAP.
“To be honest, we have the 345 and 346,” Cingolani said, referring to the company’s training and light combat aircraft variants, adding: “We can make them unmanned.” On the other hand, he stated that Baykar’s “large drones that can be modified” are also among the alternatives. However, Cingolani emphasized that Baykar’s products should be “transformed from an unmanned to a real aircraft,” while in their own option, they “start from a real aircraft and transform it into an unmanned aircraft.”
Cingolani’s statements seem to close the door on the idea that the partnership with Baykar would directly use an existing UAV from the Turkish company as the GCAP unmanned aerial vehicle. Rather, it signals that Baykar’s UAV expertise and technology could be used to develop solutions specific to the program’s needs.
Manned-Unmanned Teamwork and Focus Areas in GCAP Architecture
Like other countries’ sixth-generation fighter jet designs, the GCAP architecture envisions a central fighter jet manned by human pilots, accompanied by multiple drones equipped with sensors and weapons. This concept, known as “manned-unmanned teaming” (MUM-T), is expected to be a key part of future air combat.
Cingolani explained that the program will focus primarily on developing the main fighter jet for the next five years, but added that partner countries will be free to explore unmanned companions on their own in the meantime. He added with a laugh that the latest designs for the main jet are “massive” at 40 meters.
