Germany opens talks on joining Britain's GCAP fighter jet program

Talks in Berlin

Boris Pistorius and Wes Streeting met in Berlin on Monday, 2 November, and used a joint press conference to set out where a German role in the GCAP program stands. Pistorius said the two ministers agree that time is a critical factor, so they want to establish quickly whether the three partners are willing to take Germany in and on what terms. Streeting said Britain is positive about German participation, but that the final decision will be taken together with Japan and Italy. Pistorius added that talks with the defence chiefs of Japan and Italy should give him a first idea of whether the conditions on scheduling and the division of roles are met. Japanese Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi is among the officials he plans to speak with.

“We agree that time is a very critical criterion in this question.”

Why the timing matters

Germany had previously aimed to develop a next-generation fighter with France for introduction in 2040, but the FCAS project was dropped in June after years of negotiations that failed to produce agreement. Since then, Germany has been searching for an alternative. Pistorius noted that the GCAP partners spent five years negotiating before reaching their deal, and that there is now not much time left. He stressed the pressure in these words:

“This creates considerable time pressure, which we want to take into account, because this capability must be ready in the early 2040s.”

Industrial and political hurdles

British Prime Minister Andy Burnham visited Berlin on 8 October and passed on an invitation for Germany to examine joining GCAP. Chancellor Friedrich Merz had earlier presented a plan to consider joining the program at a meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi in Tokyo. GCAP is intended to replace Japan's F-2 jets and the Eurofighter aircraft flown by Britain and Italy. The program's main industrial groups, notably BAE Systems, Leonardo and Mitsubishi, have already divided much of the work among themselves, which could complicate German entry. Saab of Sweden has also been described as a potential partner for Germany.

Relations and Ukraine talks

Streeting thanked the German government for its leading role in NATO and described the friendship between the two countries as one of Britain's strongest, closest and most reliable. Pistorius said many people may not realise how far the German-British partnership has developed, and he rejected any doubt about its state.

“The German-British relationship is as good as never before.”

Pistorius was skeptical about a planned three-way meeting between the United States, Russia and Ukraine, saying that negotiations of any kind had produced nothing except heavier bombardment of Ukraine. He added that lasting peace in Europe is not possible without Europeans at the negotiating table. Streeting responded that there can be no decision on Ukraine without Ukraine, and talks between Russia, Ukraine and the United States are expected in Abu Dhabi in November.

What happens next

Pistorius plans talks with Italy and Japan within about two weeks of 2 November, and he expects them to clarify scheduling and the division of roles. Germany would then decide whether to move to the following stages, he said. Pistorius told the press conference that a decision had to be made quickly. Streeting said Britain wants to understand what requirements Germany has and see whether there could be synergies.