Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto announced that the United Kingdom, Italy, and Japan are considering the possibility of opening up a program aimed at developing an advanced fighter jet to other countries.

However, this expansion may occur at a later stage, according to Reuters.

It regards the development of a promising multi-role combat aircraft under the GCAP program.

“We will not open (the program) to others until the initial phase will be closed,” the Italian minister said.

He added that many countries were interested in entering, but without directly answering the journalist’s question on interest from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

“Afterwards, with everyone’s agreement, we could widen it to other countries,” Crosetto said.

The media previously reported that Saudi Arabia is among the candidates that could join the GCAP program, as it could bring money and a lucrative market for the new fighter jet.

Last December, the UK, Italy, and Japan signed an agreement to further develop a promising multi-role fighter aircraft under the GCAP program. This agreement marked the beginning of the development of the aircraft, which is scheduled to take to the skies by 2035.

According to the agreement, the United Kingdom will be the main country in the program, where the headquarters and main development companies, namely BAE Systems and Rolls-Royce, will be located.

The fighter jet will be a joint development of the three countries, but for each of them, the aircraft will receive different radar equipment, systems, and missile and bomb weapons.

The main criterion will be the multifunctionality of the new combat aircraft. It will be able to use various weapons, including the promising Japanese-British JNAAM medium-range missiles.

British companies are involved in the development of the promising aircraft: BAE Systems, in partnership with Rolls-Royce, Leonardo UK and MBDA UK. Italy is represented by Leonardo S.p.A., and Japan is represented by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, IHI Corporation, and Mitsubishi Electric.