The UK Ministry of Defence has awarded BAE Systems a 656-million-pound ($815 million) contract to further develop the Tempest next-gen combat aircraft concept.
The contract extension builds on the research and engineering put in by Tempest’s UK partners — BAE, Leonardo UK, MBDA UK, and Rolls-Royce — during phase one of the project.
The new funding will see the partners develop the “maturity of more than 60 cutting-edge technology demonstrations, digital concepts, and new technologies,” which will help shape the platform’s final requirements, BAE Systems stated.
Part of the UK’s Future Combat Air System program to replace the Typhoon, the Tempest is expected to be operational by 2035.
Global Combat Air Program
In December 2022, the UK, Italy, and Japan announced the development of a common sixth-generation aircraft under the Global Combat Air Program (GCAP), merging their separate aircraft development projects — the UK and Italy’s Tempest and Japan’s F-X.
The sixth-generation delta-wing aircraft is expected to incorporate stealth, directed-energy weapons, and the ability to control swarms of drones.
“Today, as planned, the UK MOD is releasing the next tranche of funding for future combat air. This shows that the UK is committed to working with international partners to deliver a next-generation fighter jet for 2035,” Ministry of Defence director of Future Combat Air Richard Berthon said.
“We are facing a growing threat from our adversaries, who are investing in combat air and air defenses of their own. By investing in GCAP, we will stay ahead of these intensifying and proliferating threats, and provide a highly credible deterrent capability for decades to come.”
