British Prime Minister Andy Burnham opened the door on Thursday to Germany joining the Global Combat Air Programme, or GCAP, the sixth-generation fighter effort led by the UK, Italy and Japan. He raised the prospect during a press conference in Berlin after talks with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, linking the defence discussion to a wider bilateral security push between London and Berlin.
Burnham indicated that the UK would seek to move the idea forward in the coming period while working with its existing GCAP partners. The programme is aimed at developing a next-generation combat aircraft, and any German entry would broaden one of Europe’s most significant defence-industrial collaborations.
The talks came alongside ratification of a new UK-Germany friendship and security treaty, with both governments also focusing on hybrid threats, sabotage, cyberattacks and democratic interference. Germany has been reassessing its fighter options after the collapse in June of a separate Franco-German combat aircraft effort, making GCAP a possible alternative. Canada joined GCAP as an observer in July, adding to the momentum around the programme, but there is no indication that Germany has taken a decision to join.