The U.K. Secretary of State for Defence, Ben Wallace MP has confirmed plans for Britain to lead the development of a new flying combat air demonstrator, which will play a critical role in proving the technology and design principles needed to deliver the U.K.’s Future Combat Air System.
Work is being led by U.K. sovereign combat air industry leader BAE Systems, working with the Ministry of Defence and a number of suppliers across the U.K. This pioneering project will deliver the first flying combat air demonstrator in a generation—designed and developed in the U.K. The demonstrator aircraft will fly within the next five years.
The flagship project is part of a suite of novel technologies being developed by Team Tempest. These concepts are designed to demonstrate and test the next generation combat air skills, tools, processes and techniques needed to ensure Tempest, the U.K.’s Future Combat Air System, achieves in service in 2035.
Team Tempest comprises the expertise of the Ministry of Defence and U.K. combat air leaders BAE Systems, Leonardo U.K., Rolls-Royce and MBDA U.K. Launched in 2018, alongside the U.K.’s Combat Air Strategy, Tempest will play a crucial role in providing long-term defence and security for the U.K., while delivering significant economic benefits to the nation, securing high-value skills and careers and contributing to prosperity in many U.K. regions.
Engineers at BAE Systems across the North of England are leading the design, test, evaluation and build process, bringing together new and novel digital engineering technologies such as synthetic modelling and model-based systems engineering. These innovative design and engineering methods are helping to demonstrate how they will significantly reduce the time it takes to design, deliver and upgrade complex combat aircraft.
"I am delighted that the U.K., alongside Italy and Japan are working on similar combat air journeys together. Our work with Japan and Italy on cutting-edge technology like this shows the benefit of our alliances across the world. The design and development of the demonstrator aircraft represents an important milestone, showcasing the success and talent of our engineers, programmers and software developers. This programme will go on to attract opportunities for many more great minds and talent from across the U.K." Defence Secretary, Ben Wallace
"We recognise our responsibility in providing trusted sovereign combat air capability. We’re partnering with the U.K.’s highly motivated and skilled supply chain to accelerate the innovation of the nation’s future air power; integrating new technologies so the Royal Air Force and its allies can stay ahead of our adversaries. The demonstrator is an exciting once-in-a-generation opportunity providing experienced and young engineers alike a chance to contribute to an endeavour which really matters to our national defence and security." BAE Systems Chief Executive, Charles Woodburn.
The demonstrator will provide evidence for the critical technologies, methods and tools, which will be used on the core platform. As part of the broader activity involved in developing Tempest, the demonstrator programme is also helping retain, further develop and stimulate the next generation of skills and expertise required to deliver this ambitious programme.
Tempest was launched in 2018, in response to the U.K.’s Combat Air Strategy, which set out an ambitious vision for the future. It outlined the importance of the U.K.’s sovereign combat air sector in ensuring that the U.K. retains choice in how it meets its defence and security capability needs and initiated the programme to deliver the successor capability to Typhoon.
The strategy also recognised the broad benefits the sector delivers to the nation and committed to ensure that future procurement decisions take into account military capability, international influence and economic benefit, along with the overall cost to deliver maximum benefit for the U.K.