Italian Defence Minister Guido Crosetto on Tuesday criticized the Britain for not fully sharing technologies with Italy and Japan in a joint effort to build a next-generation fighter jet.
Crosetto called on the British government to “break down the barriers of selfishness,” urging more transparency and cooperation in the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP).
The GCAP initiative, which brings together Italy, Japan, and the UK, aims to deliver a cutting-edge combat aircraft by 2035.
Crosetto, a senior figure in Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s right-wing Brothers of Italy party, emphasized that real partnerships require equal footing when it comes to sharing technology and joint investments.
“There is no longer anyone who can be considered first and second class and who wants to defend old legacies.
“You have to break down some barriers of selfishness. Italy has broken them down totally, Japan almost totally. It seems to me that the UK is much more reluctant to do this, and that’s a mistake because selfishness is the worst enemy of nations,” he said.