Italy “in favour” of Saudi Arabia joining GCAP, says PM
Leonardo is one of three contractors leading the GCAP programme. (Photo: Leonardo)
Prime Minister Moloni’s comment came as Italy and Saudi Arabia signed a swathe of agreements totalling $US10 billion for greater cooperation, including between its defence and aerospace industries.
Italy’s Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, has spoken in favour of Saudi Arabia’s participation in the Global Combat Air Programme, according to Reuters.
Meloni said that while Italy would be “in favour” of Saudi Arabia entering GCAP, she also noted that it would “not be immediate”.
This is the first time that Italy’s Prime Minister has explicitly spoken about the possibility of the country joining the multi-national initiative, consolidating comments from the country’s Foreign Minister that GCAP could be ‘extended’ to the Gulf nation in November 2024.
Related Articles
UK, Japan and Italy discuss potential to bring other countries into GCAP programme
The comment from the Italian PM in Bahrain came as the country signed a number of agreements worth a cumulative US$10 billion between Italy and Saudi Arabia on 26 January.
Part of this collection of agreements saw Italian company Leonardo, one of the three prime industry contractors in GCAP, signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Saudi Arabian industry to boost cooperation in aerospace and defence.
It specifically noted that the MoU would expand on the 2024 MoU to see “a further expansion of the industrial collaboration in the Combat Air and helicopter fields”.
Saudi Arabia’s possible involvement in GCAP had also been raised by the UK, with the country noting in its recent Defence Committee Review that bringing in any new partners into the programme – like Saudi Arabia – would need a ‘cautious’ approach.
Related Programmes in Defence Insight
More from Air Warfare
-
![New US Army UH-60M Black Hawk order bridges uncertain path to MV-75 transition]()
New US Army UH-60M Black Hawk order bridges uncertain path to MV-75 transition
The US$234 million award for 16 Sikorsky UH-60Ms preserves near-term production, but funding uncertainty and an undefinitised contract leave the US Army’s long-term Black Hawk requirements unresolved.
-
![V-22 Osprey safety upgrade moves towards wider fleet installation under $35.5 million deal]()
V-22 Osprey safety upgrade moves towards wider fleet installation under $35.5 million deal
Bell Boeing will supply 73 additional ODSSHI kits as NAVAIR prepares to introduce predictive drive-system monitoring across US and Japanese V-22 fleets.
-
![AFA 2026: US Air Force examines uncrewed cargo aircraft for contested logistics]()
AFA 2026: US Air Force examines uncrewed cargo aircraft for contested logistics
The US Air Force is evaluating demonstrators for uncrewed cargo missions as it considers logistics requirements across the Pacific and other contested environments.
-
![Europe risks losing control of CUAS production capacity as manufacturers look abroad]()
Europe risks losing control of CUAS production capacity as manufacturers look abroad
European counter-drone developers are securing early orders in the Middle East while slow domestic acquisition processes threaten to redirect production capacity, expertise and investment away from Europe.
