ROME — Italy’s outlay on the design and development of the tri-nation GCAP fighter has tripled from €6 billion to €18.6 billion — or from $7 billion to $21.8 billion — in the last five years, the country’s defense minister has told parliament.
The announcement of the price hike came in a request to parliament to authorize the pay-out which prompted criticism from Italy’s opposition Five Star party.
“This is the most expensive program in the history of the Italian military, overtaking the F-35 where €18 billion was spent on 90 aircraft,” Five Star parliamentarians said in a statement.
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Italy is a member alongside the U.K. and Japan of the sixth generation GCAP fighter team which aims to put a new jet into service by 2035.
The document with the new pricing of Italy’s share in the program was sent this month to the defense commission of the Italian senate, where it is due to be discussed on Tuesday before a vote to approve the text is taken, likely next week.
The document will also be voted on by the defense commission of the lower house of parliament. It will likely be approved in the commissions due to the majority enjoyed in both by Meloni’s coalition government.
The document is an update on a previous version submitted to parliament in 2021, which said Italy would pay out €6 billion to cover its share of Phase1 and 2 of the program – respectively ‘Concept Assessment and Preliminary Design’, followed by ‘Full Development’.
The new document states the outlay, “which was initially estimated to be €6 billion for program phases 1 and 2 has since been updated taking into account the increase in costs in technology maturation, testing and development and design, to an estimated €18.6 billion (at 2025 prices).”
The document, which has been seen by Defense News, reported that €2 billion in funding had already been secured, partially covering Phase 1. A further €16.6 billion was therefore needed to complete Phases 1 and 2, it added.
The document contains a request for approval for funding worth €8.8 billion to be dispensed in annual payments stretching out to 2037.
The remaining €7.8 billion required to hit the €16.6 billion total would be arranged at a future date, the document added.
In its statement, the Five Star party wrote, “We don’t doubt the value of this program, but it is not acceptable that our parliamentary commissions are used as cash dispensers which issue billions like peanuts, without even supplying an in-depth and detailed explanation of this enormous increase in the expected expenditure.”
During a Jan. 16 meeting in Tokyo between Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae, the two leaders “expressed satisfaction for the progress of the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP),” and confirmed “the importance of achieving the goal of delivering the first aircraft in 2035.”
Tom Kington is the Italy correspondent for Defense News.
