Italy says it will be equal partner in jet fighter project with UK, Japan

FILE PHOTO: A concept model of the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP)'s fighter jet is displayed at the DSEI Japan defense show at Makuhari Messe in Chiba, east of Tokyo, Japan March 15, 2023. REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon/File Photo

ROME (Reuters) - Italy said on Saturday it will be an equal partner in the next-generation fighter program with Britain and Japan, as further talks are still underway on the project, including on where to base its headquarters.

The three countries established the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP) in December after Britain and Japan agreed to merge their fighter efforts in a ground-breaking collaboration that aims to deploy an advanced aircraft by the middle of the next decade.