Super fighter, Crosetto: 'Difficult for the French to enter, they tend to monopolise'

After a bitter political clash between the majority and the opposition over the additional costs involved in implementing the sixth-generation fighter jet project, the favourable opinion of the Foreign Affairs and Defence Committee of the Chamber of Deputies finally arrived on Thursday 12 February on a strategically important Decree of the Ministry of Defence. It is the final go-ahead for a multi-year programme that concerns, in the words of the measure's title, 'the development of a complex and interoperable architecture based on a sixth-generation air combat 'system of systems' - Future Combat Air System (FCAS), characterised by a core platform - GCAP) and unmanned cooperating systems (remotely piloted aircraft or adjuncts), a marked multi-domain capability, hinged on highly innovative emerging technologies, intended for the prospective renewal of the Air Force's F2000 Eurofighter aircraft'.

The main component of the whole package is the sixth-generation fighter project, or 'Gcap'. The preliminary cost estimates in this case have been revised upwards. Compared to the costs estimated in 2021, i.e. five years ago, the commitment needed by Italia to develop this air combat system has increased from EUR 6 billion to EUR 18.6 billion. The opposition, in particular the Five Star and the Avs, attacked, denouncing 'incalculable expenses' and complaining that the Commissions would, in their view, be used as a cash machine disbursing billions like peanuts.

In the meantime, on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference, Defence Minister Guido Crosetto outlined his position. "I think it would be positive if many nations were to enter" into the Gcap "as it is a highly innovative project with a great technological content, a basis for the future not only of the military but also of aeronautics in general, including civil aeronautics, and we are open, as we have said, to the participation of all the states that want to participate. I think,' added Crosetto, 'it will be difficult for the French to do so because the alliance they are trying to set up with the Germans is falling apart, is collapsing precisely because of the French attitude to monopolising. We,' the minister concluded, 'have thought of a multi-national thing where each nation must have industrial return, technological return, and there is no one nation in charge'. In Munich, Crosetto met with UK Secretary of State for Defence John Heale. "On the industrial level, appreciation for the advances in joint programmes, starting with the Gcap, with the aim of consolidating shared capabilities and strengthening the credibility and effectiveness of European defence at continental level," was Crosetto's account at the end of the face-to-face meeting.

The 'Gcap' is the international collaboration programme involving, at present (in the last period there has been speculation of interest from Germany and Australia) Italia, the United Kingdom and Japan (which in turn has taken over from Sweden) with the shared ambition to develop a next-generation aircraft system by 2035. The leading companies for the respective countries are Leonardo, Bae Systems (UK) and Mitsubishi (Japan). For Italia, the companies MBDA Italia, Elettronica and Avio GE are also expected to participate, as well as other smaller industrial companies, including SMEs.

The programme consists of a sixth-generation combat aircraft system, integrated with unmanned cooperative systems, satellites and other military assets. The project envisages all elements of the system being connected by an 'intelligent' network, based on a dedicated cloud architecture, artificial intelligence and next-generation datalinks. The programme is mentioned in the Multiannual Defence Planning Document for the three-year period 2025 - 2027, in which it is clarified that the programme received a supplement of EUR 1180 million in the Budget Law 2025.