Germany would be strong partner for GCAP fighter project, Leonardo CEO says

Germany would be a strong partner for the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP) fighter project, Leonardo's chief executive told Reuters on Tuesday, expanding the program’s international scope. Lorenzo Mariani said Berlin would 'certainly be a particularly valid partner' and would bring essential industrial expertise to GCAP, which is led by a joint venture of BAE Systems, Leonardo, and JAIEC with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries backing JAIEC. The partners aim to deliver a next‑generation jet by 2035. Italy has approved almost €9 billion in GCAP funding, while FCAS has been estimated at about €100 billion, underscoring the financial scale involved. Germany's involvement would help share development costs and strengthen European defense as nations reassess NATO spending.