GCAP: Burnham offers Merz entry into joint fighter jet project

Berlin. British Prime Minister Andy Burnham has offered Germany to join the GCAP fighter jet program. Burnham said on Thursday during his inaugural visit to Berlin that he had signaled to Chancellor Friedrich Merz that Great Britain was open to Germany being able to take part in the project.

“This is something we want to push forward in the coming period in collaboration with our other partners, Italy and Japan,” said the British Prime Minister. The German-French fighter jet project FCAS failed this summer.

According to reports, Burnham's offer is "the first small step" for possible arms cooperation. Government circles said that Germany remains committed to the fact that there will be no solo effort by Germany in the development of the fighter aircraft. In addition to Germany, Canada has also expressed interest in joining the British-Italian-Japanese joint production. The GCAP fighter jet should be airworthy by 2035 and, among other things, replace the Eurofighter Typhoon.

At their meeting in Berlin, Merz and Burnham created a new basis for their relationship more than six years after Brexit. By exchanging ratification documents in the Chancellery, the two heads of government put the German-British Friendship Treaty, which was signed in London last year, into force.