{"id":51588,"date":"2019-09-10T14:36:36","date_gmt":"2019-09-10T14:36:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/uncategorized\/2019\/09\/10\/italy-expected-to-join-british-tempest-combat-aircraft-program\/"},"modified":"2026-08-07T23:44:24","modified_gmt":"2026-08-07T23:44:24","slug":"italy-expected-to-join-british-tempest-combat-aircraft-program","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/digital-show-dailies\/dsei\/2019\/09\/10\/italy-expected-to-join-british-tempest-combat-aircraft-program\/","title":{"rendered":"Italy joins Britain\u2019s Tempest combat aircraft program"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

LONDON \u2014 Italy is expected to join a nascent British effort to build a sixth-generation fighter jet, expanding that program\u2019s membership club to three partners after Sweden signed up earlier this summer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Officials here at the DSEI defense trade show were still unsure as of Tuesday afternoon in what form the government-to-government agreement would be announced, saying that Italy\u2019s and Britain\u2019s turbulent political situations made for little certainty. It appeared that a written statement by the respective defense ministries would be published by Wednesday morning, to be accompanied by a formal event that day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The U.K. subsidiary of Italy\u2019s Leonardo has been part of the program since it announced its participation at the Farnborough Airshow last year, working on new new ideas for sensors and avionics. It remains to be seen if involving the whole of Italy\u2019s flagship contractor will alter the playing field on the industrial side.<\/p>\n\n\n\t