Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto has stated that additional countries, including Germany and Australia, may be interested in joining the GCAP program in the future, with requests also received from Saudi Arabia and Canada.

The GCAP, whose current partners are Italy, the United Kingdom, and Japan, is an international project aimed at developing a next-generation fighter jet by 2035. The initiative is led by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries in Japan, BAE Systems in the United Kingdom, and Leonardo in Italy.

"Germany could likely join this project in the future," Crosetto said during a parliamentary hearing.

(Translated by Agnese Napoletti, edited by Andrea Mandalà)