Chapter 23. Europe: GCAP Tempest and FCAS, Two Sixth-Generation Projects

Europe: GCAP Tempest and FCAS, two 6th generation projects The skies in Europe have always been complex. Airspace is tight, borders are short, and political memories are long. Nations that have been fighting each other for hundreds of years must now fly in the same formation. So Europe's sixth generation fighter is not just a technical project. The question “Who will be at the helm” comes first on the blueprint. As a result, Europe is now walking down two paths simultaneously. These are the Global Combat Air Program (GCAP) of the UK, Italy and Japan and the Future Combat Air System (FCAS) of France, Germany and Spain.

GCAP's roots are the UK's 'Tempest' project. First unveiled at the 2018 Farnborough Air Show, the Tempest was planned as the successor to the Eurofighter Typhoon. ‘Team Tempest’, comprised of BAE Systems, Rolls-Royce, Leonardo UK, and MBDA UK, formed a key industrial partnership. The UK has invested more than £2 billion in the project by 2025. In December 2022, a turning point has arrived. The 'Global Combat Aviation Program (GCAP)' was officially launched with the UK, Italy, and Japan agreeing to joint development. It is a combination of Tempest's core technology and Japan's next-generation fighter (F-X) project.

The three countries have set a goal of deploying sixth-generation fighter jets by 2035. GCAP is not simply a project to build ‘one airplane’. It is an attempt to build a ‘System of Systems’. Centered around a manned fighter, unmanned wingmen, a sensor network, and a combat cloud are connected as one. When a pilot spots an enemy, that information is immediately shared with drones, satellites, and ships. Even before the pilot gives a command, AI suggests the optimal response. In June 2025, GCAP's industrial joint venture 'Edgewing' was officially launched.

BAE Systems, Italy's Leonardo, and Japan Aviation Industry Promotion Corporation (JAIEC) each held a 33.3% stake. The headquarters was located in the UK, and the first CEO was from Italy. Unlike other international aviation projects that have collapsed in disputes over intellectual property rights, export regulations, and manufacturing responsibilities, GCAP has formal agreements in place that enable cross-border work on design and technology. The Tempest technology demonstrator is already in the assembly phase. The first flight is scheduled for 2027.

The simulator flight, which took place at BAE Systems' Wharton facility, exceeded 150 hours, and it is said that core system software was created in days rather than weeks through automatic coding technology. Rolls-Royce is developing an engine demonstrator with Italy's Avio Aero and Japan's IHI.

The requirements for the GCAP fighter jet are ambitious. According to RAF officials, the internal weapons storage capacity is twice that of the F-35A, and the target is a range that allows for a transatlantic flight using only internal fuel. This is not just a “better plane,” it’s a “different plane.” On December 26, 2025, the Japanese Ministry of Defense held the 11th meeting of the GCAP Development Promotion Committee and reaffirmed the 2035 field deployment schedule.

The meeting, chaired by Defense Minister Masahisa Miyazaki, reviewed budget allocations for fiscal year 2026 and the status of development of manned fighter jets and unmanned systems. For Japan, the meaning of GCAP is clear. The goal is to have a stealth fighter designed from the ground up to collaborate with unmanned wingmen, integrate weapons from allies, and maintain independent freedom in sensor and mission software upgrades. On November 25, 2025, ministers from the three countries held a decisive meeting. GCAP has transitioned from a political vision to an actionable program.

Government and industry are aligned behind a clear contract roadmap. There were reports that Canada was considering the GCAP as a follow-up fighter aircraft after the introduction of the F-35A, and Saudi Arabia also expressed its intention to participate. FCAS, on the other hand, is taking a different path. This project, led by France's Dassault, Germany's Airbus, and Spain, is aimed at a huge network rather than a single fighter aircraft, as its name suggests, 'Future Combat Aviation System'. Centered around the next-generation manned fighter (NGF), various unmanned aerial vehicles called 'Remote Carriers' and 'Combat Cloud' are integrated.

But FCAS is plagued by internal conflict. There are constant battles for leadership, intellectual property disputes, and work division issues between Dassault and Airbus. In September 2025, it was reported that Dassault had demanded an 80% share of work on the Next Generation Weapon System (NGWS), which Berlin strongly opposed. In December 2025, Dassault's CEO said he was "not sure if the project could continue." The future of this business, estimated to be worth 100 billion euros, has become uncertain.

German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said he plans to make a decision by the end of the year, but even a ministerial meeting between France and Germany has not been scheduled. Some German industry figures privately say they would personally like to participate in the Tempest program, given its role in previous European fighter projects such as the Tornado and Typhoon. The possibility that Germany will abandon FCAS and join GCAP cannot be ruled out.

Europe's simultaneous pursuit of two projects is not romantic but an expression of anxiety. If you go all-in on one thing and it collapses politically, the future of air superiority is completely lost. Europe has two engines. However, if the two engines provide thrust in different directions, the fuselage will tear apart. This is why the debate arises: “Can Europe afford two 6th generation programs?” However, we should not underestimate Europe. Europe's strength is not 'integration' but 'experience'.

It has the combat aviation tradition of Rafale and Eurofighter Typhoon, electronic warfare, missiles, aero engines, and actual operational experience. The integrated sensor system being developed by Leonardo processes more than 10,000 times more data than existing radars. BAE Systems has an AI research center with a 90-year history. The GCAP fighter's AI monitors the pilot's vital signs in real time. If you lose consciousness due to high G-force or panic due to excessive information, AI immediately intervenes and takes control of the aircraft. This is not just an autopilot, but a ‘virtual co-pilot’ that functions as the pilot’s partner.

While the United States and China are already putting AI pilots in the skies and testing drone fleets, Europe is still stuck in the design and negotiation stages. The 2035 target is ambitious, but we may already be a generation behind by then. China's GJ-11 is taking to the skies alongside the J-20, and America's CCA is scheduled for production in 2028. But if GCAP is successful, it will have implications beyond just a new fighter jet. It is proof of a new model of international cooperation that maintains strategic autonomy while sharing sovereignty.

Just as the Tornado and Typhoon protected Europe during the Cold War, GCAP will be able to protect European skies in the mid-21st century. From a cockpit perspective, European pilots don't want fancy brochures. “When will I receive it, how reliable is it, and will the data link survive the first day of war?” Whether GCAP or FCAS, the questions that must ultimately be answered are the same. Stealth is basic, sensor fusion is basic, electronic warfare and cyber survivability are basic. The difference is ‘who puts the basics into reality first?’ It is a battle for the last pride of the Old Continent.

If Europe survives this race, it will not be a triumph of technological prowess alone. It will be a victory of political will and industrial cooperation. The world has now entered the era of ‘algorithm dogfight’. The era in which pilot skills dominated is over, and an era has come where the quality of data and the speed of AI judgment determine victory or defeat. America's Dominant

Japan's technological prowess, China's frightening speed and state-led concentration, and Europe's sophisticated technological alliance. The winner of this three-way battle depends on who puts the smarter AI on top of a more trustworthy network. As a fighter pilot, I still trust human intuition and judgment. However, in order to avoid the missiles flying towards me from the sky and at the same time exploit the enemy's loophole, I absolutely need an AI wingman who can think faster and react faster than me. This is not a matter of choice, but of survival. The ruler of the skies may no longer be the best pilot.

You will be the one with the best algorithm. But it still has to be a human being directing the algorithm. Machines only calculate, they don't fight. War is a clash of wills. AI may be a great hunting dog, but we are the hunters with the guns. The moment we forget that, we will be eaten by machines.