UK may halve F-35 purchases to invest in Tempest fighter jet

The UK has already agreed to purchase 48 F-35s by the end of 2025 in a £9.1 billion deal.

The final number purchased could be around 70, instead of the previous target of 138, a report in The Times says. This would allow for 60 operational aircraft as well as ten as backups.

[caption id="attachment_55181" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] The F-35 in action. Image: US Air Force photo by senior airman Kristine Legate[/caption]

The government money saved from this cut could reportedly be funnelled into the Tempest fighter jet programme, which was first revealed at 2018’s Farnborough Airshow. This is according to a sources close to the government’s defence review.

Related: Intelligent factory unveiled for Tempest production in UK

Then defence secretary Gavin Williamson said at the time: ““If the RAF is to have the capability to keep Britain safe and make sure we can defeat our adversaries at home and abroad, we need to be making this investment in a fighter jet.”

The number of F-35s purchased by the government is expected to be influenced by the foreign defence and security review which concludes in November. Speaking to The Times, a defence source said: “The guiding principle of the review is to ask ourselves what the threat it, and whether we have the capability to meet it.”

Looking ahead at the sixth generation fighter

The Tempest, which will include new technologies including direct energy weapons, hypersonic weapons, optional manning and and swarming drones, is currently under development by a consortium including the Ministry of Defence, BAE Systems, Rolls-Royce, Leonardo and MBDA.

[caption id="attachment_55182" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] A mock-up of the Tempest fighter jet[/caption]

The fighter jet is meant to enter service in 2035 and replace the Eurofighter Typhoons currently used by the RAF and Italian Air Force.

The defence programme will reportedly cost initially £2 billion to develop up to 2025.

At FIA Connect in July, the digital version of Farnborough Airshow, seven new supply chain partners were revealed, including GE Aviation UK, Bombardier, GKN and Martin Baker.

Welcoming the news, defence secretary Ben Wallace said: “Just two years after Team Tempest was created they delivered a world first. It’s no surprise; when you attract the very best of British engineering and design, technological leaps like these are guaranteed.

“That’s why I’m delighted seven more companies have joined this mission to work in collaboration with the MoD, under the Team Tempest banner. They will bring the ambition, invention and expertise that will deliver the breakthroughs we will depend on for decades to come.

“These pioneers will strengthen our ability to develop a next generation aircraft and allow us to continue making vital contributions to UK, European and global security.

A first of its kind industry 4.0 factory is applying digital technologies to advance manufacturing on the the Tempest. The new facility at BAE Systems’ site in Warton, Lancashire is bringing together advanced manufacturing technologies.

Team Tempest www.raf.mod.uk/what-we-do/team-tempest/