Italy’s defense minister has accused the United Kingdom of failing to adequately share advanced technologies with its partners in the tri-national Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP), branding the alleged lack of openness as irrational and counterproductive.
Guido Crosetto argued that by holding back critical technology from Italy and Japan on the sixth-generation fighter jet project, the U.K. could inadvertently strengthen rival powers.
“This only benefits Russia and China,” Crosetto said in an interview with Defense News.
It marks the second occasion on which Crosetto has publicly criticized London over technology-sharing within GCAP. In April 2025, he told Reuters that Britain needed to dismantle what he described as “selfish barriers.”
At the time, he said Italy had fully removed such restrictions, while Japan had done so almost entirely, adding that the U.K. appeared far more hesitant—a stance he warned was a serious error, calling national selfishness “the greatest enemy of states.”
When asked again this week whether his view had shifted, Crosetto said his position remained unchanged.
“They still refuse,” he said, stressing that withholding technology from allies during the current geopolitical climate was “madness.”
Crosetto added that he was seeking to lead by example in talks with Leonardo, the Italian aerospace company spearheading Italy’s role in GCAP.
“I have instructed Leonardo to make its technology available. Now we will see if others follow suit. Someone has to move first,” he said.
The remarks come as GCAP continues to make steady progress, especially when compared with the troubled French-German-Spanish Future Combat Air System (FCAS), which has been slowed by disputes over industrial responsibilities.
In the U.K., a joint GCAP government office is now working in close coordination with industry teams responsible for sensors, propulsion, and systems integration, aiming to deliver the aircraft by 2035.
One recent setback, however, has been Italy’s disclosure that projected design and development costs have climbed from an estimated €6 billion ($7.1 billion) in 2021 to €18.6 billion, prompting criticism from opposition parties at home.
Despite the cost concerns, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae said during a meeting this month that they were pleased with the progress of the Global Combat Air Programme.
