Leonardo chief says German role in GCAP fighter project could help industry

Leonardo chief executive Lorenzo Mariani said it would be beneficial from an industrial viewpoint for Germany to join the Global Combat Air Programme, the fighter jet project led by Britain, Italy and Japan. He said German participation is not an option at the moment and that Leonardo had not been officially approached by Germany, but he added that informal talks among industries are always present.

GCAP was launched in 2022 and aims to develop a supersonic sixth-generation stealth fighter by 2035. The aircraft is intended to replace the Eurofighter Typhoon used by some European countries.

Speaking on the sidelines of the Farnborough airshow southwest of London, Mariani said Germany could bring strong industrial competence, debt funding capability from the German state and experience from previous joint fighter jet projects. He said the main risk would be disruption to schedules and work share.

France and Germany's joint fighter jet project collapsed last month after disputes between Airbus and Dassault. Airbus defence and space chief Michael Schoellhorn did not say whether Airbus would join GCAP, but said Airbus was ready to join or build a project where it had a significant share of the work and leadership.

The future shape of European fighter jet alliances is a key issue at Farnborough. GCAP gained momentum this month after Britain, Italy and Japan allocated £4.6 billion, or $6.2 billion, to continue development. Canada joined the project as an observer on Tuesday, a move that could lead to full membership. Mariani said Canada's participation could encourage other countries to seek the same role.

Leonardo, Airbus and Thales are also planning to merge their satellite operations in a project called Bromo, aimed at competing with Elon Musk's Starlink internet system. Mariani said the companies are preparing to submit the plan to European antitrust regulators. He said several issues still need to be studied and resolved, but that he remained optimistic the process would be completed in due time. He also said the project would benefit the companies, customers and the supply chain, and rejected concerns that it would damage competitiveness.