GCAP fighter jet timeline 'will not change even if new country joins'

The Edgewing venture developing GCAP, a sixth-generation stealth fighter, is jointly owned by BAE Systems, Leonardo and Japan Aircraft Industrial Enhancement, and it secured a £4.6 billion ($6.19 billion) contract from Britain, Italy and Japan earlier in July.

Italy's defence minister said in June a new partner would help share that cost, and Leonardo told Reuters that Germany would be a particularly valid partner given its expertise. Saudi Arabia has also looked at GCAP.

Canada, which wants to diversify its defence spending away from the U.S., could deepen its GCAP cooperation at a later date if it joins.

Zoff said any new partner would be a "net positive".

"We're basically doing things quicker in respect to the standard times of industrial defence," he said, adding that the focus now was on completing the concept assessment phase, due by the end of 2027, while conversations were ongoing about the future footprint for assembling the jet in the three countries.