DSEI 2023: UK Italy and Japan join forces on GCAP's ISANKE and ICS electronics.

At the DSEI 2023 exhibition in London, defense electronics companies from the United Kingdom, Italy, and Japan announces that they are collaborating to establish a joint project delivery framework for the ISANKE (Integrated Sensing and Non-Kinetic Effects) & ICS (Integrated Communications Systems) domain of GCAP (Global Combat Air Programme).

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  ISANKE & ICS involves advanced onboard electronics for the GCAP combat aircraft, providing mission information and self-protection capabilities to aircrews. (Picture source: Leonardo)

Representing their respective nations, Leonardo UK, Mitsubishi Electric (Japan), Leonardo, and ELT Group (Italy) are actively exploring operational and commercial models. Their collaborative efforts aim to create a structure for efficiently delivering the onboard electronics of the next-generation combat aircraft, accommodating potential modifications by each participating nation.

This development follows the earlier announcement of the ISANKE & ICS domain collaboration agreement in March and brings the partners closer to forming a permanent industrial structure. Recognizing GCAP's 2035 target, the partners are engaging in discussions to reevaluate program structures, infrastructure, and performance metrics. The objective is to establish a model for international business and technical cooperation to accelerate progress.

ISANKE & ICS involves advanced onboard electronics for the GCAP combat aircraft, providing mission information and self-protection capabilities to aircrews. This concept represents a departure from traditional separate airborne sensors, offering integrated sensing, fusion, and self-protection capabilities. The integrated communications system will enable ISANKE to function as a network across formations of crewed and uncrewed aircraft, enhancing each nation's multi-domain system of systems.

In parallel with commercial discussions, the domain partners have achieved technical milestones. The ISANKE & ICS subsystem has successfully passed a comprehensive three-nation systems review. Engineers from Leonardo, Mitsubishi Electric, and ELT Group have collaboratively defined the high-level design of the ISANKE & ICS subsystem, including its key components, placement within the aircraft, and functions, utilizing virtual collaboration and in-person meetings.

This milestone provides guidance for research and development efforts and reinforces the goal of deploying the new combat aircraft in 2035. Additionally, all partners have made progress in developing underlying technologies in radar, electro-optics, and electronic warfare. The collaboration has also laid the groundwork for aligning digital transformation initiatives as they prepare for joint engineering efforts across national borders.

The ISANKE & ICS domain partners are recognized for their engineering excellence in their respective countries. Together, they aim to inspire and train the next generation of engineers and business leaders to meet the demands of the defense sensing and communications domain for the foreseeable future.

The Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP) is a multinational collaborative initiative led by the United Kingdom, Japan, and Italy with the objective of developing a sixth-generation stealth fighter. Its primary aim is to replace the existing fighter aircraft in service with the Royal Air Force, the Italian Air Force, and the Japan Air Self-Defense Force, including aircraft such as the Eurofighter Typhoon and the Mitsubishi F-2.

This initiative was officially launched in December 2022 when the governments of the United Kingdom, Japan, and Italy jointly announced their intention to merge their separate sixth-generation fighter projects – the United Kingdom's BAE Systems Tempest and Japan's Mitsubishi F-X – into the unified Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP). Towards the end of 2022, Japan and Sweden also signed an agreement indicating potential future cooperation within this framework.

It's worth noting that Saudi Arabia has expressed interest in joining GCAP with support from British and Italian entities, although this move has faced opposition from Japan.

Discussions to consolidate the Tempest and Mitsubishi F-X projects began as early as 2017, driven by the goal of reducing developmental costs. This eventually led to the decision to integrate these projects into GCAP in late 2022. Additionally, the program has been designed to consider potential export markets, aiming to lower per-unit costs.

Within GCAP, each participating nation designates specific companies to oversee various aspects of the fighter's development. In the United Kingdom, BAE Systems is responsible for the airframe, Rolls-Royce for the engines, Leonardo's UK division for the electronics, and MBDA UK for weapon systems. In Japan, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries serves as the prime contractor, with IHI Corporation handling engine development and Mitsubishi Electric overseeing electronics. In Italy, Leonardo S.p.A. acts as the prime contractor, Avio Aero is responsible for engine-related work, and MBDA IT contributes to missile development.

Looking ahead, the program outlines a comprehensive timeline. By around 2024, detailed development and cost-sharing agreements among the member companies are expected to be finalized. This sets the stage for production, which is projected to begin around 2030, with the first deployment of the new aircraft planned for 2035.