Overview
The Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP) is a tri-nation initiative between the UK, Italy and Japan to develop a sixth-generation fighter jet. With the programme currently in its Concept and Assessment (C&A) phase, success depends not just on engineering excellence—but on how effectively information can be shared across an international, multi-partner enterprise.
At the centre of that effort is the GCAP Digital Ecosystem: a framework of rules, standards, policies and digital services designed to enable secure, efficient data flow across nations, systems, and teams. To help define this critical capability, BAE Systems brought in Techmodal to lead delivery of the UK’s contribution to a series of feasibility studies for the Digital Ecosystem.
Our role
Techmodal consultants were embedded within the tri-nation industry team to shape and steer two high-level feasibility studies on behalf of the UK:
- Security and data
- Digital twins and the digital thread
Our role was to assess the feasibility of key digital topics, their alignment to the broader GCAP vision, and their ability to deliver real capability. We were also asked to identify delivery risks, investigate relevant best practice across government and industry, develop solution options, and coordinate early architectural modelling—all culminating in a strategic roadmap to support further development.
What we delivered
- Agile delivery leadership across a tri-national team
- Coordination of technical inputs across the UK, Italy and Japan
- A common technical taxonomy to support shared understanding
- Integrated digital service architecture based on real use cases
- Two feasibility studies delivered to time, quality, and scope
Our consultants created and sustained momentum throughout a highly complex, multi-stakeholder delivery. By driving transparency, continuous feedback, and an agile mindset, we ensured all contributors remained aligned—and able to work effectively across differing systems, time zones and priorities.
The impact
The feasibility studies were delivered in March 2025, in line with the programme schedule. They played a key role in shaping the System Requirements Document (SRD) and the GCAP Statement of Requirement (GSOR) for the next phase: Design and Development.
By ensuring the GCAP Digital Ecosystem is clearly defined, technically feasible, and strategically planned, we’ve helped lay the groundwork for one of the most ambitious multinational defence collaborations in modern history.
Shaping tomorrow’s force, with clarity today.
We help programme teams test futures, explore trade-offs, and make decisions grounded in operational reality — not assumptions. The result is confident, evidence-led planning for the next generation of Defence capability.
If you're designing what comes next — let’s work it through together.
