Latest news with #Tempest
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
‘She's going to be big': why Putin should fear Britain's next fighter jet
The first thing to know about Britain's flagship new fighter jet is that it's big. This becomes immediately clear when you see the full-scale mock-up that dominates a warehouse at the Warton factory near Preston, Lancashire, which is run by British defence giant BAE Systems. And here, size matters. Because it tells you a lot about what the UK, Italy and Japan are planning for the supersonic stealth jet they are building together. The three countries are aiming to bring the aircraft – which has been christened 'Tempest' in the UK – into service by 2035 under an agreement known as the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP). 'This won't be the final shape and size but, in terms of scale, it's about the same,' says Jonny Moreton, of BAE, during a visit by The Telegraph. 'Whatever GCAP as a core platform is going to be ... she is going to be big.' A bigger jet means bigger fuel tanks. That means more range and bigger payloads of explosive warheads. But the size also means weapons can be stored internally – ensuring a smooth exterior that makes the aircraft harder to detect with radar. At the same time, Tempest will be packed with technology allowing it to link up with other aircraft, drones, ground forces and satellites. All this suggests Tempest is being designed for long-haul missions deep into enemy territory, where communicating with home base may be impossible. If Nato ever ended up at war against Putin's Russia, experts say this means the aircraft would take off from a British airfield, fly to Russia undetected, destroy hostile air defences and then fly all the way back again. Not only that, but such a long range would allow Japanese pilots to strike deep into the Chinese mainland in any future Pacific conflict. Moreton, who is also an ex-commodore of the Royal Air Force, remains tight-lipped about whether these propositions are correct. But with modern warfare happening at ever-larger distances, he concedes that any deterrent to Russian and Chinese aggression must be able to operate 'at ranges that previously we've been unable to do'. 'You need to be able to get there safely, undetected and return home,' he adds. So critical is the need for range that project leaders have suggested the jet will be capable of crossing the Atlantic without mid-air refuelling – something no Royal Air Force fighter has ever been able to do. A Typhoon jet, the backbone of the RAF's existing fleet, has a combat radius of about 860 miles on a single tank of fuel. Meanwhile, the American-made F-35A stealth jet, which air force chiefs recently said they were planning to acquire, has a combat radius of about 680 miles. That is less than half the distance between London and Moscow, which is roughly 1,550 miles. It means Tempest will be in a league of its own when it comes to British fighters, says Francis Tusa, an independent defence analyst. 'As the requirements have changed over the years, so have the models,' he says. 'You can make your aircraft as stealthy as you like but if it has to be refuelled by a tanker then ultimately your adversary just needs to track down and destroy the tanker. 'So you need enough internal fuel to go a very, very long way – and stay out there.' Tempest in combat Imagine Nato and Russia did go to war in future – what does this mean for Tempest's role in the fight? Tusa says in week one of the conflict, Tempest would probably have to go into Russia and attack surface-to-air missile defences and air bases. Then in week two, when there is no threat from air defences, the jet can either be an air superiority fighter that loiters in the sky and takes out enemy fighters or continues in a ground support role. To fulfil that role, it is expected to be able to unleash massive arsenals of explosive weapons on its targets – potentially twice as much as an F-35 can deploy. Based on reports, Tusa says Tempest's maximum takeoff weight could be 'north of 30 tonnes' compared to Typhoon's 23 tonnes. That is more than the Lancaster bombers used in the Second World War. 'It is going to be in a completely different league to anything we have ever built,' Tusa says. The technology being built into Tempest will also ensure the jet can act as an airborne communications hub, even if contact with bases back in Britain has been disrupted. This means it can act as a central contact point for nearby friendly drones and missiles, as well as forces on the ground and satellites in space. 'We need to be able to operate at range, where our communications might be disrupted,' explains BAE's Moreton. 'Therefore we need to make sure we have a core platform that's crewed, that's in a position that it can be the heart of the network if we're unable to communicate back to home base for operations. 'It needs to be able to operate in an isolated environment.' Automation push BAE is part of 'Team Tempest', a partnership between the Ministry of Defence and industry that also includes Rolls-Royce, missile maker MBDA and Italy's Leonardo . Since 2023, however, the effort has been amalgamated with GCAP, with the UK, Italy and Japan combining research and development into a single programme. The British team, led by BAE, is working on a demonstrator jet that will road-test a key piece of equipment – a vent system that will feed air to Tempest's engines using an S-bend that wends its way through the aircraft's insides. This is vital to reducing the jet's radar signature. A trial has been scheduled for some time in 2027 and remains on schedule, according to BAE. At Warton, the company is trialling new production processes that will be used to fabricate the aircraft's wings and tail fins in the coming months. These include additive manufacturing, a form of 3D printing where material is added instead of removed, the production of large, carbon-based panels and more extensive use of robots. For example, reconfigurable robot arms are being used instead of specialist 'jigs' that were previously needed on the production lines of older aircraft such as the Typhoon. Jigs are tools that hold components in place or guide cutting tools during manufacturing and are often tailor-made for a certain stage of the process. Using robots instead will slash the cost of making the jigs – which often runs to tens of millions of pounds – and could shave up to three years off the run-up to full-rate production. It also means the factory floor is more easily reconfigurable, saving money for BAE at its facilities and letting the company easily switch to the production of a different product when required. All this will help to keep vital domestic skills alive as the company prepares to transition away from making Typhoon to producing Tempest in the next decade. That is still some way away, BAE stresses, with workers likely to be kept busy for at least the next 10 years by orders anticipated from Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Turkey. But the development of Tempest will help to preserve Britain's sovereign capability to make its own aircraft, says Richard Hamilton, the managing director for Europe and International at BAE's air business. 'We're one of a small number of nations that have the whole aircraft capability,' he says. 'That means we can design an aircraft, we can make it and we can actually fly it from the site as well to our customers. 'Not many other countries still have that capability, so it's a freedom of action that our Government has at the moment.' This is one reason why other countries are also queuing up to join the GCAP consortium. Saudi Arabia is understood to be one of the countries in discussions with the three existing national partners, although it is not clear yet what level of involvement the Gulf nation could have. Riyadh is currently a buyer of the Typhoon jet but defence sources say the kingdom is looking for a potentially weightier role in GCAP that would give it more influence over capabilities and a greater role in manufacturing as well. But Herman Claesen, the head of future combat air at BAE, says the window for new joiners is narrowing, particularly given the brisk pace the founding countries want to maintain. 'To be part of the core programme today in the same way as Japan, Italy and the UK, because of the pace we've achieved and where we are today, becomes quite challenging and will have an impact which the three governments will have to either reject or accept,' Claesen says. 'It's never impossible ... we can make anything happen. But I see the likelihood as diminishing all the time, considering the pace we have on the programme.' Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. Solve the daily Crossword
Telegraph
2 days ago
- Business
- Telegraph
‘She's going to be big': why Putin should fear Britain's next fighter jet
The first thing to know about Britain's flagship new fighter jet is that it's big. This becomes immediately clear when you see the full-scale mock-up that dominates a warehouse at the Warton factory near Preston, Lancashire, which is run by British defence giant BAE Systems. And here, size matters. Because it tells you a lot about what the UK, Italy and Japan are planning for the supersonic stealth jet they are building together. The three countries are aiming to bring the aircraft – which has been christened 'Tempest' in the UK – into service by 2035 under an agreement known as the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP). 'This won't be the final shape and size but, in terms of scale, it's about the same,' says Jonny Moreton, of BAE, during a visit by The Telegraph. 'Whatever GCAP as a core platform is going to be ... she is going to be big.' A bigger jet means bigger fuel tanks. That means more range and bigger payloads of explosive warheads. But the size also means weapons can be stored internally – ensuring a smooth exterior that makes the aircraft harder to detect with radar. At the same time, Tempest will be packed with technology allowing it to link up with other aircraft, drones, ground forces and satellites. All this suggests Tempest is being designed for long-haul missions deep into enemy territory, where communicating with home base may be impossible. If Nato ever ended up at war against Putin's Russia, experts say this means the aircraft would take off from a British airfield, fly to Russia undetected, destroy hostile air defences and then fly all the way back again. Not only that, but such a long range would allow Japanese pilots to strike deep into the Chinese mainland in any future Pacific conflict. Moreton, who is also an ex-commodore of the Royal Air Force, remains tight-lipped about whether these propositions are correct. But with modern warfare happening at ever-larger distances, he concedes that any deterrent to Russian and Chinese aggression must be able to operate 'at ranges that previously we've been unable to do'. 'You need to be able to get there safely, undetected and return home,' he adds. So critical is the need for range that project leaders have suggested the jet will be capable of crossing the Atlantic without mid-air refuelling – something no Royal Air Force fighter has ever been able to do. A Typhoon jet, the backbone of the RAF's existing fleet, has a combat radius of about 860 miles on a single tank of fuel. Meanwhile, the American-made F-35A stealth jet, which air force chiefs recently said they were planning to acquire, has a combat radius of about 680 miles. That is less than half the distance between London and Moscow, which is roughly 1,550 miles. It means Tempest will be in a league of its own when it comes to British fighters, says Francis Tusa, an independent defence analyst. 'As the requirements have changed over the years, so have the models,' he says. 'You can make your aircraft as stealthy as you like but if it has to be refuelled by a tanker then ultimately your adversary just needs to track down and destroy the tanker. 'So you need enough internal fuel to go a very, very long way – and stay out there.' Tempest in combat Imagine Nato and Russia did go to war in future – what does this mean for Tempest's role in the fight? Tusa says in week one of the conflict, Tempest would probably have to go into Russia and attack surface-to-air missile defences and air bases. Then in week two, when there is no threat from air defences, the jet can either be an air superiority fighter that loiters in the sky and takes out enemy fighters or continues in a ground support role. To fulfil that role, it is expected to be able to unleash massive arsenals of explosive weapons on its targets – potentially twice as much as an F-35 can deploy. Based on reports, Tusa says Tempest could be expected to carry payloads 'north of 30 tonnes' compared to Typhoon's 23 tonnes. That is more than Lancaster bombers transported in the Second World War. 'It is going to be in a completely different league to anything we have ever built,' Tusa says. The technology being built into Tempest will also ensure the jet can act as an airborne communications hub, even if contact with bases back in Britain has been disrupted. This means it can act as a central contact point for nearby friendly drones and missiles, as well as forces on the ground and satellites in space. 'We need to be able to operate at range, where our communications might be disrupted,' explains BAE's Moreton. 'Therefore we need to make sure we have a core platform that's crewed, that's in a position that it can be the heart of the network if we're unable to communicate back to home base for operations. 'It needs to be able to operate in an isolated environment.' Automation push BAE is part of 'Team Tempest', a partnership between the Ministry of Defence and industry that also includes Rolls-Royce, missile maker MBDA and Italy's Leonardo . Since 2023, however, the effort has been amalgamated with GCAP, with the UK, Italy and Japan combining research and development into a single programme. The British team, led by BAE, is working on a demonstrator jet that will road-test a key piece of equipment – a vent system that will feed air to Tempest's engines using an S-bend that wends its way through the aircraft's insides. This is vital to reducing the jet's radar signature. A trial has been scheduled for some time in 2027 and remains on schedule, according to BAE. At Warton, the company is trialling new production processes that will be used to fabricate the aircraft's wings and tail fins in the coming months. These include additive manufacturing, a form of 3D printing where material is added instead of removed, the production of large, carbon-based panels and more extensive use of robots. For example, reconfigurable robot arms are being used instead of specialist 'jigs' that were previously needed on the production lines of older aircraft such as the Typhoon. Jigs are tools that hold components in place or guide cutting tools during manufacturing and are often tailor-made for a certain stage of the process. Using robots instead will slash the cost of making the jigs – which often runs to tens of millions of pounds – and could shave up to three years off the run-up to full-rate production. It also means the factory floor is more easily reconfigurable, saving money for BAE at its facilities and letting the company easily switch to the production of a different product when required. All this will help to keep vital domestic skills alive as the company prepares to transition away from making Typhoon to producing Tempest in the next decade. That is still some way away, BAE stresses, with workers likely to be kept busy for at least the next 10 years by orders anticipated from Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Turkey. But the development of Tempest will help to preserve Britain's sovereign capability to make its own aircraft, says Richard Hamilton, the managing director for Europe and International at BAE's air business. 'We're one of a small number of nations that have the whole aircraft capability,' he says. 'That means we can design an aircraft, we can make it and we can actually fly it from the site as well to our customers. 'Not many other countries still have that capability, so it's a freedom of action that our Government has at the moment.' This is one reason why other countries are also queuing up to join the GCAP consortium. Saudi Arabia is understood to be one of the countries in discussions with the three existing national partners, although it is not clear yet what level of involvement the Gulf nation could have. Riyadh is currently a buyer of the Typhoon jet but defence sources say the kingdom is looking for a potentially weightier role in GCAP that would give it more influence over capabilities and a greater role in manufacturing as well. But Herman Claesen, the head of future combat air at BAE, says the window for new joiners is narrowing, particularly given the brisk pace the founding countries want to maintain. 'To be part of the core programme today in the same way as Japan, Italy and the UK, because of the pace we've achieved and where we are today, becomes quite challenging and will have an impact which the three governments will have to either reject or accept,' Claesen says. 'It's never impossible ... we can make anything happen. But I see the likelihood as diminishing all the time, considering the pace we have on the programme.'
Mint
5 days ago
- Business
- Mint
BAE Sees ‘Phenomenal Pace' on Next Fighter Jet as Rival Sputters
(Bloomberg) -- BAE Systems Plc said it is speeding ahead with the development of its next-generation Tempest fighter jet, as a rival European program is hamstrung by Franco-German squabbling. The British defense company this week unveiled the design of a demonstrator aircraft, and said that it has already begun manufacturing the main structure, wings and tail for that jet at its site in Lancashire. The milestone puts the test aircraft on track to fly within three years, with the final piloted supersonic plane — the first to be developed in the UK in 40 years — to be delivered by 2035, the firm said. 'The pace of this program is absolutely phenomenal,' Herman Claesen, managing director for Future Combat Air Systems at BAE Systems, told reporters on a video call on Tuesday. 'By following the timeline we are following at the moment, we will be one of first companies to be able to offer the sixth-generation capability into the export market.' The US, China and Russia are also developing sixth-generation aircraft, which are likely to include enhanced stealth, sensor and autonomous capabilities as well as the improved ability to coordinate with other aircraft and drones. London-based BAE is one part of the three-party Global Combat Air Programme, which also includes Italy's Leonardo SpA and Japanese partners. Engine maker Rolls-Royce Holdings Plc and missile company MBDA are helping with the development of the demonstrator in coordination with the UK's Ministry of Defence. BAE's optimistic tone and declarations of 'excellent progress' contrast starkly with the rival German-French-Spanish effort. The two main contractors, France's Dassault Aviation SA and Airbus SE, whose defense business is based outside Munich, are bickering over control of FCAS, also known by its French acronym SCAF, which has put the development of the planned successor aircraft to the Eurofighter at risk. The issue has escalated to the point that German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and French President Emmanuel Macron will seek to quell the squabble at a meeting in Berlin this month. In 2023, Airbus predicted that FCAS will be operational by 2040. When asked about whether it makes sense for Europe to have two competing fighter jet programs, Claesen said GCAP's timelines were much faster at the moment than what they've seen at the Franco-German program, although he was not privy to any details at the rival endeavor. 'We're focused on our program, we're focused on our job, it is up to the governments to decide whether there is enough money in Europe and strategically whether it is important to have two programs or to have one program,' Claesen said. GCAP is being driven by the UK, Italy and Japan. A joint venture to lead the project — recently dubbed Edgewing — has BAE, Leonardo and Japan Aircraft Industrial Enhancement Co. each owning 33.3%. There has been speculation that other countries could join the project, especially Saudi Arabia, which is a key export market for the Eurofighter Typhoon jet. 'We can make anything happen, but the likelihood is diminishing all the time considering the pace we have on the program,' Claesen said of adding new partners, because doing so would have an impact on timing and costs. GCAP has defined five levels of involvement, ranging from the most basic of ordering the plane off the shelf to manufacturing the aircraft in their own country, he said. 'I am pleased to say there's a bit of a queue forming of various nations who want to talk to the three governments' to be involved with the program, Claesen said. --With assistance from Gerry Doyle. More stories like this are available on
Bloomberg
5 days ago
- Business
- Bloomberg
BAE Sees ‘Phenomenal Pace' on Next Fighter Jet as Rival Sputters
BAE Systems Plc said it is speeding ahead with the development of its next-generation Tempest fighter jet, as a rival European program is hamstrung by Franco-German squabbling. The British defense company this week unveiled the design of a demonstrator aircraft, and said that it has already begun manufacturing the main structure, wings and tail for that jet at its site in Lancashire.
The Guardian
5 days ago
- Business
- The Guardian
‘There's a bit of a queue forming': how UK firms are enticing buyers for the next generation of fighter jets
In a factory on the banks of the River Ribble in Lancashire, robot arms stand on a floor striped with glowing lights. They will hold the tail fin for a test model for the UK's next generation fighter jet, which is intended to fly for the first time in 2027. The jet, known as Tempest, will act as a symbol of Britain's hopes to remain a top-tier military nation and keep alive more than a century of building military aircraft. Yet things are markedly different in another hangar at the Warton site, run by British arms manufacturer BAE Systems. There, production of the Typhoon jet, a mainstay of the Royal Air Force (RAF) for two decades, has – for now at least – ground to a halt. Unite, a union representing workers, has raised concerns that the UK risks losing skills, but the company, Britain's dominant weapons maker, insists that it will find new orders that will sustain jobs on the production line. Richard Hamilton, a managing director in charge of the Typhoon programme, told reporters at the plant this week that he was 'really confident' of receiving orders – but not from the UK. Instead, the UK government is trying to persuade Turkey, Qatar and Saudi Arabia to buy more, which would secure the future of the assembly lines at Warton for as long as a decade. The questions over the future of the assembly line are emblematic of a trilemma that often seems to affect military procurement: the UK wants the best weapons; wants to boost British manufacturing, and needs to keep a lid on costs. Achieving more than two of those three aims simultaneously may be tricky, if not impossible. Keir Starmer last month committed to raise defence spending to the equivalent of 3.5% of GDP in line with Nato allies, but even that increase – paid for by a cut in international aid that was deeply controversial among Labour MPs – has not assuaged concerns over the UK's future capability to make fighters. That was heightened by the UK's recent decision to go ahead with an order of US-made F-35s – long-range stealth fighter jets. The UK last month said it will buy 12 US-made F-35A jets which are capable of carrying nuclear weapons, significantly adding to the UK's nuclear arsenal. It also ordered another 15 F-35Bs, capable of vertical takeoff and landing. The jets are made by Lockheed Martin, but BAE Systems contributes communications, navigation and radar systems. Each F-35B version can cost as much as $109m (£81m), although the cost of the F-35A is thought to be about $83m. The UK carries out about 15% of the work by value on each F-35. But costs are also much higher than planned: the MoD estimated whole-life costs of £57bn for the F-35 programme, but the National Audit Office put the actual price tag at £71bn. Typhoon illustrates the way that European governments tried to keep the ability to make fighter jets while lacking the US's economic power: the UK, Germany, Italy and Spain agreed to team up on the Eurofighter back in the 1990s, which meant fewer politically popular jobs, but also shared costs between several nations. The left wing is made in Italy, the right in Spain. Germany makes the central fuselage, while the engine is based on a design from Britain's Rolls-Royce and front fuselages are built in Samlesbury, half an hour east of Warton. Each jet is then assembled by a prime contractor in one of the four countries, with BAE Systems as the lead for the jets bought by the UK. A 2011 public accounts committee report put the cost of each Typhoon at £73m – or £126m if development costs were factored in. But BAE Systems also builds the planes ordered by allies via the UK government. Turkey, Qatar and Saudi Arabia could order as many as 100 new Typhoons between them, Hamilton suggested, with about 50 more potentially assembled elsewhere. Hamilton also said that the government should commit to supporting upgrades to existing Typhoon jets with the latest electronics, such as new radars, encrypted communications, and new displays for pilots. Those upgrades would clear the way for customers to make the orders, Hamilton suggested. A source close to the defence minister, John Healey, indicated the government is likely to support the upgrades, which were recommended in the recent strategic defence review. The government is also confident in gaining more orders, the person said. Export orders give an easy financial win for the government – even if the Eurofighter never quite lived up to export hopes – but they will also force compromises on the Labour government, which has had to curry favour with countries who have faced persistent criticism over human rights abuses. Turkey is a member of Nato, but president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has pursued increasingly authoritarian policies, and his main political rival has been given a prison term. Qatar has its own record of human rights abuses, particularly around treatment of migrant workers, and its criminalisation of same-sex relationships. Most notably, oil-rich Saudi Arabia became – briefly – an international pariah after the 2018 murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. US intelligence agencies came to the conclusion that Saudi crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, approved the murder. Saudi Arabia was blocked from ordering more Typhoons for several years by Germany, but the Eurofighter partner changed its tune last year in the wake of Hamas's attack on Israel. The UK government showed that exports appear to trump human rights concerns in a supreme court case last month. Activists argued ministers had broken the law by allowing the UK to continue supplying F-35 parts for planes used by Israel to bomb civilians in Gaza. Government lawyers successfully argued that preserving the UK's place on the F-35 programme took precedence over the need to comply with UK laws on arms export controls, or any UK obligation to prevent an alleged genocide in Israel. Activists have also protested at BAE's headquarters. Asked whether weapons exports could undermine political support for the defence industry, BAE's chief executive Charles Woodburn this month said that 'the UK has one of the toughest export control regimes in the world for defence exports, and everything we do obviously has to be entirely compliant with UK export control policy for defence equipment'. Exports will also form a crucial part of the Tempest programme, another joint project this time between the UK, Italy and Japan. It will be one of a crop of sixth-generation jets with advanced technology still under development. (The Typhoon and F-35 are considered to be fourth- and fifth-generation jets respectively.) At Warton, a scale model of the Tempest jet, officially known as the global combat air programme (GCAP), shows an aircraft three or four metres longer than the Typhoon, with an expansive belly to hide weapons and reduce its visibility to radar, as well as carrying enough fuel for very long range missions. The promise of exports of the Tempest will again play a key role in justifying the upfront costs. The UK has committed over £2bn to Tempest since 2021 and has budgeted over £12bn for the programme over the next decade, according to parliament's defence committee. It wants the first jet to be completed in a decade's time – very fast by fighter jet standards. Delays could lead to the kind of cost overruns that have dogged big weapons programmes. There are also questions over whether crewed fighter jets have a long-term future, given the huge increase in drone warfare during the war in Ukraine. Tempest could also be competing with a Franco-German-Spanish rival, the Future Combat Air System – although that jet programme has been dogged by infighting between France's Dassault and the German arm of Airbus that broke out into the open at the Paris airshow. But even if there are two European sixth-generation jets, plus the US's Boeing F-47 announced this year by Donald Trump (the 47th president), BAE executives are confident there will be enough demand. Herman Claesen, BAE's managing director for future combat air systems, said countries from 'every continent' had inquired about buying the GCAP aircraft. The UK's arms export favourite, Saudi Arabia, has already asked to join the programme. 'There's a bit of a queue forming of various nations who want to talk to the governments,' he said. A Ministry of Defence spokesperson said: 'The Typhoon is a world-class aircraft that will remain the backbone of the UK's air defence until at least the 2040s. 'The UK is leading Typhoon export campaigns to other nations, and we will continue to work on upgrading the RAF's existing Typhoons over at least the next 15 years, both of which will support thousands of skilled UK jobs.'
