U.K.-Italian-Japanese Fighter Jet Venture Wins $6.14 Billion Contract

By Mauro OrruA joint venture of the U.K.'s BAE Systems, Italy's Leonardo and Japan Aircraft Industrial Enhancement Co. secured a contract valued at 4.6 billion pounds ($6.14 billion) to develop a new stealth fighter jet.Edgewing, the trilateral joint venture, said the contract would allow it to com…

By Mauro Orru

A joint venture of the U.K.'s BAE Systems, Italy's Leonardo and Japan Aircraft Industrial Enhancement Co. secured a contract valued at 4.6 billion pounds ($6.14 billion) to develop a new stealth fighter jet.

Edgewing, the trilateral joint venture, said the contract would allow it to complete the advanced concept and assessment phase of the program and move ahead with detailed design and development of the aircraft.

Global Combat Air Program, or GCAP, launched in 2022 with the aim to deliver by 2035 a modern next-generation stealth fighter equipped with cutting-edge technologies.

Write to Mauro Orru at mauro.orru@wsj.com