Source · Select Committees · Defence Committee
3rd report - The Global Combat Air Programme
Defence Committee
HC 598
Published 14 January 2025
Recommendations
7
Accepted
Provide multi-year funding and transparent cost information for the GCAP programme.
Recommendation
With the defence budget under increasing pressure, it is incumbent on both Government and industry to keep tight control of costs as GCAP progresses. As more detailed information on programme costs becomes available, it must be made available to Parliament …
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Government Response Summary
The government commits to transparency and updating Parliament on programme delivery, acknowledges the need for tight cost control and is actively pursuing means to manage costs, but does not address the multi-year funding arrangement.
Ministry of Defence
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10
Accepted
Ensure GCAP is future-proofed to accommodate UK AI advances and counter adversary capabilities.
Recommendation
Our recent report on Developing AI Expertise and Capacity in UK Defence examined some of the challenges and opportunities presented by the use of artificial intelligence in defence. These are not exclusive to the air domain, 30 but they will …
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Government Response Summary
The government agrees with the recommendation, stating GCAP is being designed with a continuous spiral upgrade approach, defence-wide architecture, and data standards to accommodate and advance AI and autonomous technologies.
Ministry of Defence
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Conclusions (10)
1
Conclusion
Accepted
We welcome the establishment of the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP), which will be one of the UK’s most significant defence programmes over the next decade and beyond. If delivered as planned, GCAP will enable the UK to retain national sovereignty in combat air, providing a vital military capability in …
Government Response Summary
The government welcomes the committee's assessment, confirming GCAP's military and strategic importance and reiterating its role in retaining national sovereignty and developing the Defence Industrial Strategy.
2
Conclusion
Accepted
The Committee’s visits to Japan and Italy inspired great confidence in the commitment and capabilities of both our international partners. In particular, recognising that involvement in GCAP entails a significant step both politically and militarily for Japan, the Committee was impressed by the depth of the Japanese offer and the …
Government Response Summary
The government shares the committee’s positive assessment of Japan and Italy's commitment and capabilities, noting their extensive technological and industrial contributions and effective, existing relationships within the GCAP partnership.
3
Conclusion
Accepted
An open-minded but cautious approach should be taken to including new international partners within GCAP. The potential benefits will need to be weighed carefully against the risks, with any proposed partnering opportunity carefully assessed on its own merits. Any additional partnering arrangements that could jeopardise the 2035 in-service date should …
Government Response Summary
The government agrees with the cautious approach to new partners, stating that the UK, Japan, and Italy are already clear that any additions must be driven by programme needs and the agreed timeline.
4
Conclusion
Accepted
Given the ambitious timescales for GCAP, its delivery structures at the Governmental and industrial levels will need to be sufficiently empowered to take timely and binding decisions as the programme progresses. A repeat of the structural failings which contributed to unnecessary delay and cost on the Eurofighter Typhoon would place …
Government Response Summary
The government agrees that an empowered joint delivery organisation is essential, noting the recently ratified Treaty for the GCAP International Government Organisation (GIGO) provides this framework, and all partners are committed to implementing its spirit of empowerment.
5
Conclusion
Accepted
We support an element of flexibility in workshare arrangements for GCAP, whilst also recognising the need for all three nations involved to be, and be seen to be, equal partners over the course of the programme. (Conclusion, Paragraph 36)
Government Response Summary
The government outlines that the GCAP partnership, through its Joint Venture, inherently allows for flexibility in workshare while ensuring effective contributions from each nation and promoting greater cooperation.
6
Conclusion
Accepted
Care must be taken to ensure that any flexibility around workshare is exercised within a clearly defined framework to avoid unnecessarily reopening negotiations and introducing delay. (Recommendation, Paragraph 37) Affordability
Government Response Summary
The government explains that the GCAP partnership and its Joint Venture already provide a clearly defined framework for flexibility in workshare, designed to ensure effective contributions without introducing delays.
8
Conclusion
Accepted
If political and public support for GCAP is to be maintained, it is essential that the Government not only makes the case for its necessity as a military capability, but also promotes the broader economic benefits that it will bring. (Recommendation, Paragraph 48)
Government Response Summary
The government agrees on the importance of promoting GCAP's economic benefits and states it is already delivering and will continue to highlight these, citing current investments, job creation, and export strength.
11
Conclusion
Accepted
There are many unresolved questions about how best to harness Autonomous Collaborative Platforms (ACPs) alongside the existing and future combat fleet, with the development of advanced uncrewed platforms in particular requiring significant further work. Given these uncertainties it is essential that sufficient flexibility is built into GCAP to allow for …
Government Response Summary
The government agrees, stating GCAP's design approach supports continuous spiral upgrades and integrated operation with uncrewed platforms, enabled by defence-wide architecture and data standards.
13
Conclusion
Accepted
Building and maintaining a skilled workforce will be crucial to GCAP’s success. With the defence industry facing fierce competition from other sectors for skilled workers, it is essential that a holistic approach is taken to recruitment and retention. GCAP offers a welcome opportunity to attract new talent into the UK’s …
Government Response Summary
The government details proactive measures to grow the skills pipeline, including co-funding the FCAS Technology Initiative R&D, working with academia and STEM initiatives, and efforts to retain staff and generate skills across the supply chain.
14
Conclusion
Accepted
Retention of the existing Typhoon manufacturing workforce, made more challenging by dwindling production runs and the gap until full-scale production of Tempest is underway, must be a priority; and securing further Typhoon export orders to ensure a consistent pipeline of production will be critical to achieving this goal. (Recommendation, Paragraph …
Government Response Summary
The government is actively investing in Typhoon, supporting industry in pursuing several major export campaigns, placing domestic orders for more aircraft, and BAE Systems has a plan to deploy staff across programs to retain the workforce.