PRESS RELEASELONDON 12/09/2023

Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP):
Advanced electronics partners zero in on joint project delivery
set-up
The three nations’ sensing and protection leads are close to agreeing a commercial and operating
arrangement to deliver the new combat aircraft’s on-board electronics
At the DSEI exhibition in London, the industry champions for defence electronics from the UK, Italy andJapan have announced that they are working towards agreeing a joint project delivery set-up for GCAP’s
ISANKE & ICS domain (Integrated Sensing and Non-Kinetic Effects & Integrated CommunicationsSystems).
The companies, Leonardo UK representing the UK, Mitsubishi Electric representing Japan and both
Leonardo and ELT Group representing Italy, are assessing a number of alternative operational andcommercial models. The partners have identified that a joint project delivery set-up will be the most efficientand effective way of delivering the programme at pace, as well as ensuring freedom of action andmodification for all three nations.
This latest development follows the signing of an ISANKE & ICS domain collaboration agreement,
announced in March, and moves the partners closer to the creation of a permanent industrial construct. To
meet GCAP’s 2035 target, the partners agree that new ways of working will be required and have held
intensive discussions to reevaluate legacy programme structures, infrastructure and performance metrics.
The objective is to create a transformative new model of international business and technical collaborationthat allows for progress at pace.
ISANKE & ICS is the advanced electronics on-board the GCAP combat aircraft, providing the aircrew withmission-critical information and advanced self-protection capabilities. A core reason why the new GCAP
combat aircraft is considered next generation, the new concept transitions from the traditional combat air
model of separate airborne sensors to instead provide a fully integrated sensing, fusion and self-protection
capability. At the same time, the integrated communications system will allow ISANKE to operate as anetwork across formations of crewed and uncrewed aircraft, as part of each nations’ wider, multi-domain
system-of-systems.
In addition to commercial discussions, over the last few months the domain partners have also madesignificant progress on the technical side of the programme, with the ISANKE & ICS subsystem passing athree nation systems review. As well as virtual working, engineers from Leonardo, Mitsubishi Electric and
ELT Group have come together in-person on multiple occasions as the domain has progressed towards thesystems review stage. This key gate in the ongoing joint concept activity means that the partners haveagreed on the high-level design of the ISANKE & ICS sub-system: what will the key blocks of the system be,where will they sit in the aircraft and what will they do.
Passing this gate has provided more certainty for the direction of research and development work andsupports the new combat aircraft going into service in 2035. At the same time, all of the partners haveprogressed the development of a number of critical underlying technologies, including in the fields of radar,electro-optics and electronic warfare. The collaboration has also laid the groundwork for aligning the firm’s
1journeys of digital transformation as they prepare for more intensive joint engineering on across national
borders in a secure manner.
The ISANKE & ICS domain partners represent some of the most skilled and cutting-edge engineering workin their three respective countries. Together, the partners expect to inspire and train a new generation ofengineers and businesspeople who will be able to meet the challenging requirements of the next 50 years
and beyond in the defence sensing and communications domain.

Media contacts
Leonardo
leonardopressoffice@leonardo.com
TEL: +39 0632473313

Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
Public Relations Division
prd.gnews@nk.MitsubishiElectric.co.jp

ELT Grouppressoffice@elt.it
TEL: +39 064154254/3666367317

Leonardo is a leading global Aerospace, Defence and Security (AD&S) company. With 51,000 employees worldwide, it operates in the fieldsof Helicopters, Electronics, Aircraft, Cyber & Security and Space, and is a key partner in major international programmes including Eurofighter,
NH-90, FREMM, GCAP and Eurodrone. Leonardo has significant industrial capabilities in Italy, the UK, Poland, the US and Israel and also
operates through subsidiaries, joint ventures and stakes, including Leonardo DRS (80.9%), MBDA (25%), ATR (50%), Hensoldt (25.1%),
Telespazio (67%), Thales Alenia Space (33%) and Avio (29.6%). Listed on the Milan Stock Exchange (LDO), Leonardo reported new ordersof €17.3 billion in 2022, with an order backlog of €37.5 billion and consolidated revenues of €14.7 billion. The company is included in the MIB
ESG index and has been part of the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices (DJSI) since 2010.
About Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
With more than 100 years of experience in providing reliable, high-quality products, Mitsubishi Electric Corporation (TOKYO: 6503) is arecognized world leader in the manufacture, marketing and sales of electrical and electronic equipment used in information processing andcommunications, space development and satellite communications, consumer electronics, industrial technology, energy, transportation andbuilding equipment. Mitsubishi Electric enriches society with technology in the spirit of its “Changes for the Better.” The company recorded arevenue of 5,003.6 billion yen (U.S.$ 37.3 billion*) in the fiscal year ended March 31, 2023. For more information, please visit
www.MitsubishiElectric.com*U.S. dollar amounts are translated from yen at the rate of \134=U.S.$1, the approximate rate on the Tokyo Foreign Exchange Market onMarch 31, 2023
ELT Group For more than 70 years, it has been a world leader in Electronic Defense systems. Thanks to innovative management of theelectromagnetic spectrum, achieved through proprietary and integrated technologies, today the brand is an international Group with a multidomain approach that also covers Cyber, Space and Biodefense.
By the experience gained through participation in major European Defense programs including Eurofighter Typhoon, FREMM, PPA today
ELT Group is present in more than 30 countries in the World with more than 3000 systems supplied, and also participates in the project forthe sixth generation avionics platform GCAP (Global Combat Air Programme)
ELT Group is headquartered in Italy, but has a presence in 11 countries located on 3 continents through sales offices and companies ofstrategic importance and local law in Germany and Saudi Arabia. Also part of the ELT Group are CY4GATE, which specializes in Cyber
security and Cyber Intelligence, and E4Life, Italy's first Biodefense company.

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