What's happened
British Prime Minister has expressed openness to Germany joining the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP) during talks with German Chancellor Merz in Berlin. The GCAP group, currently comprising the UK, Italy and Japan, may welcome Canada as an observer. Leaders discuss security ties, hybrid threats, and Ukraine support, with a Kensington Treaty ratification also on the agenda.
What's behind the headline?
Analysis
- Germany’s potential inclusion in GCAP signals a shift in European defence co-operation, aligning with UK and allied aims to maintain air superiority against Russia and China.
- The discussion sits against a broader pattern of Western states expanding defence partnerships to counter hybrid and cyber threats.
- The Kensington Treaty framework underpins deepened science, tech, defence and security collaboration, which could recalibrate NATO dynamics.
- The move may affect arms diplomacy, supply chains, and industrial partnerships among GCAP participants and observers.
- Readers should watch for formal agreements or ratifications and further participation details from Berlin and London, including timeline and governance.
How we got here
GCAP aims to develop a sixth-generation stealth fighter with AI-enabled sensors. Canada joined as an observer nation in July. The UK and Germany are exploring deeper defence collaboration as part of broader European security efforts, amid recent hybrid-threat concerns and a drone incident at Leipzig/Halle.
Our analysis
The Mirror reports Burnham indicating openness to German GCAP participation during talks in Berlin, with emphasis on defence collaboration and hybrid threat countermeasures. Al Jazeera describes the same visit, noting plans for a UK-Germany security partnership and ratification of the Kensington Treaty, alongside discussions on Ukraine support and European security. Bloomberg notes Burnham’s remarks during his first official Berlin trip, part of a treaty ratification with his predecessor’s government.
Go deeper
- Will Germany formally join GCAP or remain an observer for now?
- What timeline is expected for a formal decision or treaty updates?
- How might deeper UK-Germany security cooperation influence support to Ukraine?
More on these topics
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Friedrich Merz - German lawyer
Friedrich Merz is a German lawyer and politician. A member of the Christian Democratic Union, he served as a Member of the European Parliament from 1989 to 1994 and was elected to the Bundestag from 1994 until 2009, where he chaired the CDU/CSU parliament
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Italy - Country in Europe
Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a sovereign country consisting of a peninsula delimited by the Alps and surrounded by several islands. Italy is located in south-central Europe, and is considered part of western Europe.
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Japan - Country in East Asia
Japan is an island country of East Asia in the northwest Pacific Ocean. It borders the Sea of Japan to the west and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south.
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United Kingdom - Country in Europe
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom or Britain, is a sovereign country located off the northwestern coast of the European mainland.
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Germany - Country in Europe
Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central and Western Europe. Covering an area of 357,022 square kilometres, it lies between the Baltic and North seas to the north, and the Alps to the south.
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Andy Burnham - Mayor of Greater Manchester
Andrew Murray Burnham is a British Labour Party politician who has served as Mayor of Greater Manchester since 2017. He attended Gordon Brown’s Cabinet as Chief Secretary to the Treasury from 2007 to 2008 and served in the Cabinet as Culture Secretary f
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Global Combat Air Programme - Japan/Italy/UK aircraft development and acquisition programme
The Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP; Italian: Programma Aereo da Combattimento Globale; PACG; Japanese: グローバル戦闘航空プログラム, romanized: Gurōbaru Sentō Kōkū Puroguramu) is a multinational initiative led by Italy, Japan, and the United Kingdom to jointly develop a sixth-generation, multi-role, stealth fighter, informally referred to as Tempest. Administered through the GCAP International Government Organisation (GIGO) and designed and manufactured by Edgewing, a joint ventured formed by Leonardo, BAE Systems and JAIEC (a consortium led by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries), the programme aims to replace the Eurofighter Typhoon in service with the Royal Air Force (RAF) and Italian Air Force, and the Mitsubishi F-2 in service with the Japan Air Self-Defense Force. On 21 July 2026, Canada joined as an observer to the programme. 9 December 2022, the governments of Italy, Japan, and the United Kingdom, jointly announced that they would develop and deploy a common fighter jet, merging their previously separate sixth-generation projects: the United Kingdom-led BAE Systems Tempest developed with Italy, and the Japanese Mitsubishi F-X. This was formalised with a treaty signed in December 2023 in Japan...
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Ukraine - Country in Europe
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which borders it to the east and northeast.
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Leipzig - Largest city in Saxony, Germany
Leipzig is the most populous city in the German state of Saxony. The city has a population of 633,592 residents as of 31 December 2025. It is the eighth-largest city in Germany and is part of the Central German Metropolitan Region. Leipzig is located about 150 km (90 mi) southwest of Berlin, in the southernmost part of the North German Plain (the Leipzig Bay), at the confluence of the White Elster and its tributaries Pleiße and Parthe. Leipzig has been a trade city since at least the time of the Holy Roman Empire. Via Regia and the Via Imperii, two important medieval trade routes, intersected here, marking the city's economic importance. The Leipzig Trade Fair dates back to 1190. Between 1764 and 1945, the city was a centre of publishing. After the Second World War, Leipzig remained a major urban centre in East Germany. Events in Leipzig in 1989 played a significant role in precipitating the fall of Communism in Europe, mainly through demonstrations starting from St. Nicholas Church. Since the early 2000s, Leipzig has experienced substantial transformation, marked by urban and economic revitalisation as well as the modernisation of its transport infrastructure. Leipzig is home to one...
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Russia - Country
Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country located in Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. Covering an area of 17,125,200 square kilometres, it is the largest country in the world by area, spanning more than one-eighth of the Earth's in