UK PM Burnham Opens Door to Germany Joining GCAP Next-Gen Fighter Jet Program

British Prime Minister Andy Burnham said the UK is open to Germany joining the Global Combat Air Programme, a joint sixth-generation fighter jet project currently involving the UK, Italy, and Japan. Burnham made the announcement during a meeting in Berlin with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, his first official trip to the German capital.

The move follows months of speculation about Germany's potential involvement in GCAP after a rival Franco-German combat air program faltered. Leonardo, Italy's defense giant, had earlier signaled that German participation would be industrially beneficial, and Leonardo's chief executive said in June that Germany would bring meaningful expertise to the project.

Burnham's Berlin visit also covered broader defense and trade cooperation, with the UK prime minister describing himself as very committed to securing deeper cooperation with the EU at the summit. The trip was partly aimed at ratifying a bilateral cooperation treaty agreed under Burnham's predecessor, former Prime Minister Keir Starmer.