The UK’s Ministry of Defence has awarded $810 million (£650m) to manufacturers working on its Tempest fighter jet to advance the sixth-generation fighter jet program into the next phase.
The UK government has awarded the major contract to BAE Systems to lead the design and development of the next-generation fighter jet on behalf of other British defense partner firms involved in the project — Leonardo UK, MBDA UK, and Rolls-Royce. The partners will collaborate to advance the maturity of over 60 innovative technology demonstrations, digital concepts, and novel technologies. Together, these firms have been working since 2018 to research and develop several next-generation future combat air systems capabilities.
This program is part of the trilateral Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP) involving Japan, Italy, and the UK. The program is seen as a key part of the UK’s plans for defense spending.
Ben Wallace, the UK defense secretary, said the latest investment “will help fuse the combined technologies and expertise we have with our international partners in Europe and the Pacific” to build a “world-leading fighter jet by 2035”. This investment is part of more than £2 billion worth of UK government spending on the project.
The UK officials have said that the GCAP will span several decades, creating thousands of jobs and economic value to the UK. There are already more than 2,800 people working at the UK partners and wider industry, with almost 600 organizations on contract across the UK.
🇬🇧🇯🇵🇮🇹
— Ministry of Defence 🇬🇧 (@DefenceHQ) April 14, 2023
A world-leading fighter jet is being developed with international partners to protect our skies for decades to come 🤝
More than £650 million is going to @BAESystemsplc on behalf of British defence firms to kickstart the next phase.
Read more 👇https://t.co/C1jN4sKR4u
Herman Claesen, the managing director of Future Combat Air Systems at BAE, said the latest funding is crucial to driving innovation into the combat air sector. The partnership between the UK, Japan, and Italy aims to deliver the next generation of combat air fighter jets by 2035, he added.
Tempest: The aircraft, called ‘Tempest’ in the UK, is designed to be a groundbreaking stealth fighter with supersonic abilities, equipped with cutting-edge technologies and state-of-the-art sensing and protection capabilities that will make the aircraft one of the world’s most advanced, interoperable, adaptable, and connected fighter jets globally. The aircraft is expected to enter service by 2035.
Tempest is the Royal Air Force’s next-generation combat aircraft, which will eventually replace the Eurofighter Typhoon. The multi-billion pound project involving Japan, Italy, and the UK is racing against a rival effort by France, Germany, and Spain to build their own fighter jet dubbed FCAS ( Future Combat Air System (FCAS), Europe’s largest defense project at an estimated cost of more than 100 billion euros ($103.4 billion).
