Defence Secretary John Healey attended the G7 Defence Ministers summit in Naples to review the progress of the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP).
During the summit, Defence Secretary Healey met with his counterparts, Italy’s Defence Minister Guido Crosetto and Japan’s Defence Minister Gen Nakatani, in a trilateral meeting focused on advancing the GCAP initiative.
Healey congratulated Gen Nakatani on his recent appointment and highlighted the importance of safeguarding regional peace and stability in an increasingly volatile global landscape. The ministers collectively emphasized the significance of international cooperation in achieving these goals.
They expressed satisfaction with the substantial progress being made by the GCAP industry partners and discussed the latest developments regarding preparations for the Global Combat Air Programme International Government Organisation (GIGO). With the UK having successfully ratified the international treaty, the next major milestone will be the full ratification of the treaty by all three Parliaments. Once this is completed, the GIGO can be formally established, a key step expected to occur by the end of this year.
UK Defence Secretary, John Healey said:
“This meeting of G7 allies takes place amid huge global uncertainty and growing Russian aggression. In these serious times, serious international partnerships are vital.
It was a pleasure to meet my Japanese and Italian counterparts to discuss progress on our GCAP programme, including treaty ratification and other upcoming milestones”. Photo by U.S. Secretary of Defense, Wikimedia commons.