Tel Aviv: Earlier this month, Italy announced that Saudi Arabia may join the sixth generation Fighter Jet Program. The Global Combat Air Program (GCAP), a strategic collaboration between Italy, the United
Kingdom, and Japan to develop a sixth-generation stealth fighter jet, may have a surprising partner.
European nations that have not purchased the Lockheed Martin F-35 have continued to use the 4 and 4.5 generation platforms like the Saab Gripen, Dassault’s Mirage and Rafale, and the Eurofighter Typhoon instead of attempting to construct a fifth-generation fighter.
The new program with the participation of Saudi Arabia is meant to go directly to a sixth generation fighter aircraft. The participation of Saudi Arabia in the project aimed at developing a sixth generation fighter aircraft is a major twist in this huge effort.
The talks between the three partners in the development of the British-Italian-Japanese sixth generation aircraft (GCAP) with Saudi Arabia have turned in recent weeks into official statements, including by ministers in these countries. All signs point to a Saudi decision to join this almost unprecedented technological project. Experts say that the initiative has some clear restrictions as related to the Saudi participation. The question is whether Riyadh will accept a clause in the agreement that limits its access to some of the high end technologies that are to be implemented in this fighter aircraft.
The satisfaction of the three western partners from the Saudi will to become a partner is understandable – the deep pockets of Saudi Arabia are an essential ingredient of such a program. Saudi Arabia is willing to put huge sums of money in this multi-year, multi-billion US dollars for one major reason- this will give the kingdom a unique opportunity to penetrate the most advanced aeronautical technology, including advanced unmanned aerial vehicles that will accompany this future aircraft and sensing/communication/orientation suits alongside future weapons systems.
According to Israeli senior experts, in practice Saudi Arabia will have full access to the highest technological capabilities in the worlds of aerospace dedicated systems that will be developed for the advanced
fighter aircraft. Access to some of the systems that will be developed as part of the program will first be limited to the Saudis but this may change after the sixth generation takes off, one of the senior experts told Raksha Anirveda.
-The writer is an Israel-based freelance journalist. The views expressed are of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the views of Raksha Anirveda
