According to the website of the United Kingdom Ministry of Defence, a recent investment of £656 million (roughly $816 million) was made by the ministry in order to speed up the next phase of research and development for the “Tempest” fighter jet project that is part of the “Global Combat Air Programme.”
The United Kingdom, Italy, and Japan are currently working together on the next generation of fighter aircraft.
Maintaining the United Kingdom’s design, development, and production capabilities in the key technology field of military aircraft, as well as securing a place in Europe’s future fighter jet plans, have been the primary goals of the United Kingdom’s continued investment in the “Tempest” fighter jet project over the past few years. This investment was made with the intention of improving the combat effectiveness of the fighter jet through massive investment and technological development.
At the Farnborough International Airshow in July 2018, the United Kingdom displayed a full-scale model of the “Tempest” fighter jet and said that it would invest £2 billion in creating the fighter jet between 2018 and 2025, with the goal of entering service as early as 2035.
In December 2022, the United Kingdom, Italy, and Japan made the announcement that they would build the next generation of fighter jets together as part of a programme called the “Global Combat Air Programme.” This decision was made due to the enormous expense, high risk, and technical difficulties involved in the project. As part of the project, the “Tempest” fighter jet from the United Kingdom and the “F-X” fighter jet from Japan will be combined in order to create the sixth generation of fighter jets by the year 2035.
Currently, the “Tempest” fighter jet has completed its initial development. The funds invested by the UK Ministry of Defence this time are mainly used to overcome the technical difficulties in the next phase of the “Tempest” fighter jet project, including establishing an open architecture, using digital twins and virtual reality technology to ensure faster delivery of the next generation fighter jet.
According to the previously signed agreement, the project leader, UK Aerospace Systems, received the majority of the funding, while Leonardo in Italy and Rolls-Royce in the UK received some funding. Herman Claesen, BAE Systems’ managing director of Future Combat Air System (FCAS), said that the additional funding would ensure that the UK continued to advance this important project and accelerate technological innovation in the air combat field.
UK Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said that this move would help integrate the professional skills and relevant knowledge of the UK and Italian partners and demonstrate the UK’s determination to promote the rapid development of future air power.
