GCAP 战斗机合资公司 Edgewing 计划明年初在日本爱知设立约千人研发中心，三国研发布局落地、德国潜在加入

TURIN, Italy -- Edgewing, the joint venture responsible for developing a next-generation fighter for Japan, the U.K. and Italy, plans to open a design and development center in Japan early next year that will eventually employ about 1,000 people, CEO Marco Zoff said.
The site will be located in Japan's industrial center of Aichi prefecture, with a similar site in Warton, England.
"We will go up to around 1,000 people for each global site," Zoff said in an interview with Nikkei.
Edgewing is responsible for the design and development of the fighter program, known as the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP). Ownership is split equally among Japan Aircraft Industrial Enhancement, established by Japanese companies including Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, U.K. defense contractor BAE Systems and Italy's Leonardo.
On Friday, Edgewing held an opening ceremony for its global design and development hub in Turin, northern Italy. It is the company's first design and development facility outside its headquarters in Reading, near London.
By the end of next year, Edgewing plans to add a second building at the site and bring together about 300 engineers and other specialists from the three partner countries. The workforce is expected to grow to more than 1,000.
According to Zoff, the Turin center will initially house specialists responsible for integrating architecture, including structural and systems design, with engineering functions such as engine component development. Experts in specific subsystems, including avionics, will be added gradually.
The Turin facility is located within Leonardo's main aerospace development complex. The site had served as a development and production center for the Eurofighter, which is scheduled to retire in the 2040s. Nearby are the Polytechnic University of Milan and the Polytechnic University of Turin, both known for aerospace expertise.
Edgewing expects to tap into the talent pool and technical know-how developed in the region for GCAP.
The development centers in Japan, the U.K. and Italy are expected to be of similar scale.
"There is a work location and allocation structure in which every site will be specialized in a specific subsystem without overlap to be efficient," Zoff said.
Concentrating related expertise across the three countries is intended to accelerate development.
The partners aim to begin mass deployment of the fighter in 2035. While the program has completed its initial concept evaluation and moved into the design phase, the possibility has emerged that Germany could join after its effort to develop a next-generation fighter with France stalled.
German participation could help reduce development costs, but it may also require revisions and potentially delay the schedule. U.K. Prime Minister Andy Burnham said after a U.K.-Germany summit Wednesday that he had conveyed a positive view on Germany joining GCAP.
"Only the governments have the full picture to evaluate and balance the trade-off of opportunities and complexities," Zoff said.
"I would say especially Japan, more than the others, but all three governments are keen to keep to the timeline," Zoff said. "No one is going to compromise on timing if there is no benefit."