HMG reaffirms commitment to GCAP
September 22, 2024
Maria Eagle, the Minister of State for Defence, has reaffirmed the UK government’s commitment to the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP).
James Cartlidge, Conservative MP for South Suffolk and Shadow Secretary of State for Defence, raised a written question: “To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much spending on the (a) Future Combat Air System and (b) Global Combat Air Programme he plans to defer from the current financial year?”
Eagle replied that: “The UK expects to invest over £1.31 billion in the Future Combat Air System/Global Combat Air Programme and the associated Team Tempest R&D programme, in the current financial year.”
Cartlidge also asked: “the Secretary of State for Defence, how many UK-based jobs are (a) directly and (b) indirectly linked to the Global Combat Air Programme?” Eagle again replied on John Healey’s behalf, writing that: “There are over 3,500 personnel working directly on Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP) in the UK across Ministry of Defence and our industry partners; BAE Systems, Rolls-Royce, Leonardo UK and MBDA UK. These partners are supported by hundreds of organisations, including SMEs and academic institutions, spread across the UK. Major combat air industrial hubs in the north-west and south-west of England, and Edinburgh are supporting the development of the advanced skills base and industrial technologies right across the country.”
Eagle’s reassurance came just four days after British Prime Minister Keir Starmer had himself stressed and restressed the programme’s importance during his visit to Italy for talks with Italy’s Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni.
Starmer told reporters that the project had come up: “a number of times today,” and reiterated that: “GCAP is a very important project and I had the opportunity to make that clear, both publicly and here in private,”
“Obviously, we have a strategic defence review. But that’s not focused on any particular capability. GCAP is important and I’ve been able to make that clear today.”
The two leaders issued a joint declaration after the meeting, saying: “We agreed the vital importance of our collaborative defence programmes, including GCAP, for our shared national security interests and respective defence industrial capabilities, and we welcome the continued progress we are making.”
