Against the backdrop of the Airshow China 2024 in Zhuhai, where the Russian Su-57 and Chinese J-20 and J-35A were showcased, the UK Royal Air Force is to continue work on the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP) to develop a next-generation fighter to counter the proliferation of Russian and Chinese stealth aircraft, Breaking Defence reports.
The GCAP project is a programme to develop a sixth-generation multi-role fighter, which is being jointly developed by the UK, Italy and Japan. GCAP will replace the aging Eurofighter Typhoon types as well as the Japanese F-2. Expected to enter service in 2035, GCAP will operate alongside fighter-bombers and other support aircraft. Over the next four years, the project members plan to develop a low radar visibility supersonic manned aircraft demonstrator.
Under the previous Conservative administration of the UK, two billion pounds sterling was allocated for the development of GCAP until May 2025. Full funding for the project and budget allocation between programme participants will be determined in mid-2025. The GCAP project has recently been called into question after UK Defence Secretary Luke Pollard refused to make a long-term commitment to it on the grounds that it could affect the outcome of the new Strategic Defence Review due in mid-2025.
‘The proliferation of low-observable aircraft such as the Russian Su-57 or Chinese J-20, and increasingly long-range air-to-air weapons such as the PL-15 Thunderbolt, means we also need to plan for next-generation capabilities now. That’s why we need GCAP,’ said UK Air Force Chief of Staff Air Chief Marshal Richard Knighton during a Nov. 12 speech at the UK defence industry think tank, the Royal United Services Institute.
According to Knighton, GCAP is being developed with special care to complement and enhance the capabilities of the F-35, not replace it. In addition, to counter threats from Russia and China, the F-35 and GCAP units, must be complemented by Autonomous Collaborative Platforms (ACP).
The ACP strategy defines the use of collaborative UAVs that can operate autonomously and are capable of working with other combat aircraft. The strategy states that the new drones soon to enter service are vulnerable in combat conflicts involving an equal opponent. Therefore, as a priority, the Royal Air Force needs to look beyond remotely piloted air systems to develop ACP capabilities. At the Farnborough Airshow in July 2024, Airbus proposed to develop its Wingman Unmanned Auxiliary Aircraft (WUA) for GCAP.
In this regard, the development of GCAP involves the integration of advanced air target detection and engagement systems, including the use of long-range air-to-air missiles. At the same time, an important aspect is to ensure compatibility with the control and information exchange systems of other members of the multinational coalition.
At the Farnborough Airshow, GCAP representatives stressed that tens of thousands of people could be involved in the project over the decades of the programme’s existence, and shared their view that mass production of the aircraft will not begin until 2060 at the earliest. BAE Systems’ Hermann Clasen noted that the current design concept for the aircraft is such that it will not have a definite timeframe for full operational readiness.
The integration of the future strike aircraft into existing air defence systems and its interaction with fighters such as the F-35, as well as with promising autonomous platforms, is a complex task that requires a high degree of technological integration. Breaking Defence notes that the key technological solutions of the GCAP project are ensuring low radar visibility, integration of advanced electronic warfare systems, and the use of high-performance engines.
To achieve low radar conspicuity, a special airframe shape is being developed, radio-absorbing materials are being used, and infrared and acoustic signature reduction technologies are being applied. The choice of specific engine types is under development, but the main selection criteria will be engines with high thrust and fuel efficiency.
A full-scale ground-based engine demonstrator is being worked on by Rolls-Royce. Developed in conjunction with Italy’s Avio Aero and Japan’s IHI Corporation, the demonstrator is designed to provide initial compatibility testing of technologies as well as validation of common design tools.
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