Japan’s GCAP Partnership and India

The global landscape is witnessing considerable uncertainty amidst an ongoing rebalancing of power, prompting shifts in national strategies. 

Since the conclusion of the US-Japan alliance  in 1960, Japan has largely  relied on the US security umbrella. However, as its security environment has deteriorated, Japan has realised the vulnerability of over-reliance and started to strengthen its own defence capabilities. 

The trilateral partnership between the United Kingdom, Italy, and Japan under the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP) is one such initiative. The programme aims to develop a sixth-generation stealth fighter jet by 2035, which will critically enhance the combat air capabilities of member states. GCAP members have also signalled the possible expansion of the program to include new partners. 

Against this backdrop, the author outlines the contours of the GCAP program, examines the strategic imperative of defence self-reliance which is reflected in India’s AMCA project, and discusses the potential of India’s partnership in GCAP. She notes that while India’s defence industrial complex is advancing rapidly, there are several practical challenges for the realisation of its combat air self-sufficiency agenda, including limited experience in designing, developing and manufacturing advanced air assets. 

The author observes that the GCAP program presents India with an opportunity for collaboration with nations that have extensive experience in defence aerospace. Key companies involved in GCAP have contributed to the development of some of the world’s most advanced fighter jets, while India’s expanding defence industry and market can offer strategic advantages to GCAP members. 

The author concludes that while both sides would stand to gain from a potential partnership between India and GCAP, the success of such collaboration hinges on the terms of engagement. India’s late induction will restrict access to technology development and undermine meaningful engagement in defence manufacturing. Moreover, with India undertaking its own advanced fighter jet development program, AMCA, its active participation in both AMCA and GCAP concurrently appears to be an unlikely prospect.