Japan, Britain, and Italy Discuss Saudi Arabia's Role in Next-Generation Fighter Development Leaders Meet in Brazil to Explore Multinational Defense Collaboration

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This initiative is part of the Global Combat Air Program (GCAP), aimed at jointly creating a sixth-generation stealth fighter. During their talks on November 19, held on the sidelines of the Group of 20 summit, Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, along with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, evaluated the advantages of involving the oil-rich kingdom in the program.

Following the summit, the British government announced that the leaders had deliberated on expanding partner participation in the GCAP, which included discussions about Saudi Arabia's potential role.

The three nations had previously agreed at the end of 2022 to collaborate on the next-generation fighter project, and shortly thereafter, Saudi Arabia expressed interest in joining. While Britain and Italy were open to the idea, Japan exhibited caution, with a senior Foreign Ministry official noting, “It will take more time to negotiate if Saudi Arabia is involved.”

The development timeline for the aircraft is already expected to face challenges, with initial deployment plans set for 2035. Expanding the partnership to include Saudi Arabia could further complicate and delay these plans.

Despite the concerns, some Japanese officials support the inclusion of Saudi Arabia, citing potential benefits to national security strategy amid a volatile Middle East, as well as the financial resources that Saudi Arabia could contribute.

Working-level discussions involving defense officials from Japan, Britain, Italy, and Saudi Arabia have reportedly already begun to explore this collaboration.

Japan, Britain, and Italy have signed a convention to establish the GCAP international government organization (GIGO). However, amending the treaty to formally include Saudi Arabia may not be feasible within the current timeline. Instead, Riyadh is likely to participate as a partner outside the treaty framework.

Saudi Arabia, which maintains a close relationship with the United States, also engages in defense transactions with China and Russia, adding another layer of complexity to its involvement in the GCAP initiative.