이탈리아 국방장관이 사우디 아라비아와 UAE도 GCAP에 참여할 수 있냐는 질문에 바로 대답은 하지 않으면서 다른 나라들이 나중에 참여할 수 있다고 말했다네요. 영국, 이탈리아, 일본이나 중동의 두 나라는 서로 열심히 간을 보는 모양입니다.
사우디 아라비아 입장에서는 1차대전 이전까지 지배자 노릇을 하던 터키의 Kaan에 참가하는 것은 처음부터 배제된 모양입니다. 이스라엘이 사우디 아라비아, UAE, 이집트, 그리스와 함께 터키에 대항하는 동맹을 만들고 싶다는 기사는 있어도 터키의 Kaan에 사우디 아라비아가 참여하고 싶다는 기사는 못봤으니...
Europe
Italy-UK-Japan fighter jet programme could open up to others - Italian Defence Minister
Reuters
January 26, 20245:10 PM GMT+9Updated 11 hours ago
ROME, Jan 26 (Reuters) - Italy, Japan and Britain could open up a programme aimed at developing an advanced fighter jet to other countries, but at a later stage, Italy's defence minister said in an interview published on Friday.
The three countries in December signed an international treaty to set up the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP) - the first major defence industry collaboration merging the separate next-generation fighter efforts of the countries.
"We will not open (the programme) to others until the initial phase will be closed," Guido Crosetto told Italian daily Il Corriere della Sera, adding many countries were interested in entering but without directly answering a question on interest from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
"Afterwards, with everyone's agreement, we could widen it to other countries," Crosetto added.
The aim is to see the combat aircraft in flight by 2035. The joint development phase is expected to begin in 2025.
Reuters previously reported that the GCAP may welcome other nations as junior partners, with Saudi Arabia among the contenders as it would bring money and a lucrative market to a project expected to cost tens of billions of dollars.
Reporting by Giulia Segreti, editing by Alvise Armellini