Italy doubles GCAP combat air funding to over $8 billion in latest defence budget
Italy has said it will be an equal partner in the GCAP next-generation fighter programme. (Photo: author)
The latest substantial funding, allocated from 2029 to 2037, underscores Italy's determination to rapidly adopt new technologies and cultivate a robust engineering culture. It also helps the country position itself as an equal partner in the trinational Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP) with Japan and the UK.
The Italian MoD will invest more than €7.7 billion ($8.1 billion) into the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP) and Tempest sixth-generation fighter between 2029 and 2037, doubling the previously promised €3.8 billion – although the new figure also covers an extra year.
In a document published on 16 October, the MoD outlined its multi-year defence planning for the three-year period of 2023-2025. In the shorter term, Italy is spending only €271 million as opposed to the planned €345 million, but it will contribute €99.6 million instead of €3.6 million in 2024, €101 million in 2025 and €497 million between 2026 and 2028.
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