Future Aviation Capabilities

Defence Committee Closed Inquiry
Opened: 10 Sep 2023 Closed: 3 Sep 2025 Parliament page
This inquiry was originally conducted during the 2019 Parliament and was interrupted by the 2024 general election. In November 2024 the re-established committee agreed to complete the inquiry. Following the conclusion of its first inquiry into aviation procurement, the Committee is now launching a new follow-on inquiry which will focus … Read more
2 Recommendations
13 Conclusions
1 Report
3 Oral sessions
2 Letters
3 Events
Activity timeline 10 events
27 Mar
2025
Correspondence
21 Mar
2025
Report published
14 Jan
2025
Report published
14 May
2024
Correspondence
21 Feb
2024
Oral evidence
21 Feb
2024
Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · Room 8, Palace of Westminster
24 Jan
2024
Oral evidence
24 Jan
2024
Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · Room 8, Palace of Westminster
9 Jan
2024
Oral evidence
9 Jan
2024
Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · Room 5, Palace of Westminster
Oral evidence sessions 3 sessions
21 Feb 2024
View on parliament.uk
Panel 1
Air Chief Marshal Sir Richard Knighton KCB · Ministry of Defence James Cartlidge MP · Ministry of Defence Lieutenant General Rob Magowan CB CBE · Ministry of Defence Richard Berthon OBE · Ministry of Defence
24 Jan 2024
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Panel 1; Panel 2; Panel 3
Herman Claesen · BAE Systems Ian Waddell · The Confederation of Shipbuilding and Engineering Unions (CSEU) Mr Rhys McCarthy · Unite the Union Nick Laird CBE · Spirit AeroSystems Simon Barnes · BAE Systems Tristan Crawford · AERALIS
9 Jan 2024
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Panel 1; Panel 2
Brian Phillipson · Eurofighter GmbH Lucia Retter · RAND Europe Professor Trevor Taylor · RUSI Tim Rowntree · OCCAR
Title HC No. Published Items Response
3rd report - The Global Combat Air Programme HC 598 14 Jan 2025 15 Responded
Recommendations & Conclusions
15 results
1 Conclusion Accepted
3rd report - The Global Combat Air…
Global Combat Air Programme welcomed as vital for UK combat air sovereignty and allied relations
We welcome the establishment of the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP), which will be one of the UK’s most significant defence programmes over the next decade and beyond. If delivered as planned, GCAP will enable the UK to retain national … Read more
Government Response
The government welcomes the committee's assessment, confirming GCAP's military and strategic importance and reiterating its role in retaining national sovereignty and developing the Defence Industrial Strategy.
Ministry of Defence
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2 Conclusion Accepted
3rd report - The Global Combat Air…
Confidence in Japan and Italy's commitment and technical capabilities for Global Combat Air Programme
The Committee’s visits to Japan and Italy inspired great confidence in the commitment and capabilities of both our international partners. In particular, recognising that involvement in GCAP entails a significant step both politically and militarily for Japan, the Committee was … Read more
Government Response
The government shares the committee’s positive assessment of Japan and Italy's commitment and capabilities, noting their extensive technological and industrial contributions and effective, existing relationships within the GCAP partnership.
Ministry of Defence
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3 Conclusion Accepted
3rd report - The Global Combat Air…
Assess potential new Global Combat Air Programme partners cautiously, prioritising 2035 in-service date
An open-minded but cautious approach should be taken to including new international partners within GCAP. The potential benefits will need to be weighed carefully against the risks, with any proposed partnering opportunity carefully assessed on its own merits. Any additional … Read more
Government Response
The government agrees with the cautious approach to new partners, stating that the UK, Japan, and Italy are already clear that any additions must be driven by programme needs and the agreed timeline.
Ministry of Defence
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4 Conclusion Accepted
3rd report - The Global Combat Air…
Sustain empowerment of Global Combat Air Programme delivery structures to ensure timely decision-making
Given the ambitious timescales for GCAP, its delivery structures at the Governmental and industrial levels will need to be sufficiently empowered to take timely and binding decisions as the programme progresses. A repeat of the structural failings which contributed to … Read more
Government Response
The government agrees that an empowered joint delivery organisation is essential, noting the recently ratified Treaty for the GCAP International Government Organisation (GIGO) provides this framework, and all partners are committed to implementing its spirit of empowerment.
Ministry of Defence
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5 Conclusion Accepted
3rd report - The Global Combat Air…
Flexibility in Global Combat Air Programme workshare supported while ensuring equal partnership perception
We support an element of flexibility in workshare arrangements for GCAP, whilst also recognising the need for all three nations involved to be, and be seen to be, equal partners over the course of the programme. (Conclusion, Paragraph 36)
Government Response
The government outlines that the GCAP partnership, through its Joint Venture, inherently allows for flexibility in workshare while ensuring effective contributions from each nation and promoting greater cooperation.
Ministry of Defence
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6 Conclusion Accepted
3rd report - The Global Combat Air…
Establish a clearly defined framework for workshare flexibility to prevent negotiation delays.
Care must be taken to ensure that any flexibility around workshare is exercised within a clearly defined framework to avoid unnecessarily reopening negotiations and introducing delay. (Recommendation, Paragraph 37) Affordability
Government Response
The government explains that the GCAP partnership and its Joint Venture already provide a clearly defined framework for flexibility in workshare, designed to ensure effective contributions without introducing delays.
Ministry of Defence
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7 Recommendation Accepted
3rd report - The Global Combat Air…
Provide multi-year funding and transparent cost information for the GCAP programme.
With the defence budget under increasing pressure, it is incumbent on both Government and industry to keep tight control of costs as GCAP progresses. As more detailed information on programme costs becomes available, it must be made available to Parliament … Read more
Government Response
The government commits to transparency and updating Parliament on programme delivery, acknowledges the need for tight cost control and is actively pursuing means to manage costs, but does not address the multi-year funding arrangement.
Ministry of Defence
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8 Conclusion Accepted
3rd report - The Global Combat Air…
Promote the broader economic benefits of GCAP to maintain public and political support.
If political and public support for GCAP is to be maintained, it is essential that the Government not only makes the case for its necessity as a military capability, but also promotes the broader economic benefits that it will bring. … Read more
Government Response
The government agrees on the importance of promoting GCAP's economic benefits and states it is already delivering and will continue to highlight these, citing current investments, job creation, and export strength.
Ministry of Defence
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9 Conclusion Acknowledged
3rd report - The Global Combat Air…
Support and encourage Japan's legislative progress to enable successful GCAP fighter exports.
The Committee was greatly encouraged by Japan’s recognition of the importance of exports to their GCAP partners. Nonetheless, Japan’s inexperience as a defence exporter is likely to present unique challenges for GCAP which were not in evidence for Typhoon. The … Read more
Government Response
The government acknowledges the importance of exportability, states future exports are recognized in the GCAP treaty, and expresses confidence that partners are implementing necessary policy measures to achieve export goals.
Ministry of Defence
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10 Recommendation Accepted
3rd report - The Global Combat Air…
Ensure GCAP is future-proofed to accommodate UK AI advances and counter adversary capabilities.
Our recent report on Developing AI Expertise and Capacity in UK Defence examined some of the challenges and opportunities presented by the use of artificial intelligence in defence. These are not exclusive to the air domain, 30 but they will … Read more
Government Response
The government agrees with the recommendation, stating GCAP is being designed with a continuous spiral upgrade approach, defence-wide architecture, and data standards to accommodate and advance AI and autonomous technologies.
Ministry of Defence
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11 Conclusion Accepted
3rd report - The Global Combat Air…
Build sufficient flexibility into GCAP to operate alongside future uncrewed combat solutions.
There are many unresolved questions about how best to harness Autonomous Collaborative Platforms (ACPs) alongside the existing and future combat fleet, with the development of advanced uncrewed platforms in particular requiring significant further work. Given these uncertainties it is essential … Read more
Government Response
The government agrees, stating GCAP's design approach supports continuous spiral upgrades and integrated operation with uncrewed platforms, enabled by defence-wide architecture and data standards.
Ministry of Defence
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12 Conclusion Acknowledged
3rd report - The Global Combat Air…
Failure to capitalise on Hawk success led to loss of UK manufacturing capacity.
The Hawk trainer aircraft has been a UK defence export success story, but with domestic production lines closing four years ago the skills and manufacturing capacity which had built up over decades will prove challenging and costly to regenerate. We … Read more
Government Response
The government acknowledges that further investment is needed for the Hawk T2 to meet its 2040 out-of-service date and is currently assessing alternative options for the program.
Ministry of Defence
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13 Conclusion Accepted
3rd report - The Global Combat Air…
Implement a holistic approach to recruit and retain a skilled GCAP defence workforce.
Building and maintaining a skilled workforce will be crucial to GCAP’s success. With the defence industry facing fierce competition from other sectors for skilled workers, it is essential that a holistic approach is taken to recruitment and retention. GCAP offers … Read more
Government Response
The government details proactive measures to grow the skills pipeline, including co-funding the FCAS Technology Initiative R&D, working with academia and STEM initiatives, and efforts to retain staff and generate skills across the supply chain.
Ministry of Defence
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14 Conclusion Accepted
3rd report - The Global Combat Air…
Prioritise retaining Typhoon workforce and securing export orders to bridge Tempest production gap.
Retention of the existing Typhoon manufacturing workforce, made more challenging by dwindling production runs and the gap until full-scale production of Tempest is underway, must be a priority; and securing further Typhoon export orders to ensure a consistent pipeline of … Read more
Government Response
The government is actively investing in Typhoon, supporting industry in pursuing several major export campaigns, placing domestic orders for more aircraft, and BAE Systems has a plan to deploy staff across programs to retain the workforce.
Ministry of Defence
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15 Conclusion Acknowledged
3rd report - The Global Combat Air…
GCAP must break the mould of previous multilateral defence programme failures.
Whilst progress to date has been positive, previous multilateral defence programmes have frequently seen costs spiral and delays pile up and GCAP will have to break the mould if it is to achieve its ambitious target date. Decisions made at … Read more
Government Response
The government expresses gratitude for the report and affirms GCAP has been designed to learn lessons from previous programs, acknowledging the importance of the program and commitment to working with partners and Parliament.
Ministry of Defence
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Government Response AI assessment · 15 of 2 classified
Accepted 12
Acknowledged 3
Total 2 recs + 13 conclusions
Correspondence 2 letters
27 Mar 2025 Letter dated 27th March to Minister for Defence Procurement and Industry following up on the A400M update, with original letter
Parliament page
14 May 2024 Letter dated 25 April from Chair to Boeing relating to E-7 Wedgetail.
Parliament page