BAE Systems Tempest

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Tempest
Team tempest.jpg
BAE Systems conceptual illustration
Role Sixth-generation jet fighter
National origin United Kingdom
Manufacturer
Introduction Planned for 2035
Status Under development

The BAE Systems Tempest is a proposed sixth-generation jet fighter aircraft that is under development in the United Kingdom for the British Royal Air Force (RAF). It is being developed under the Future Combat Air System (UK) programme by a consortium known as "Team Tempest", originally consisting of the UK Ministry of Defence, BAE Systems, Rolls-Royce, Leonardo S.p.A. and MBDA. They were later joined by Elettronica, Avio Aero, General Electric UK, GKN, Collins Aerospace, Martin-Baker, QinetiQ, Spirit AeroSystems in Belfast and Thales UK, along with UK universities and SMEs[expand acronym]. Saab is contributing as well. The aircraft is intended to enter service from 2035 gradually replacing the Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft in service with the RAF. Two billion pounds will be spent by the British government on the project by 2025.

Development[]

Work began in 2015.[1]

The UK and Japan began discussing jointly developing a new stealth fighter jet in 2017.[2]

On 16 July 2018, the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) published its Combat Air Strategy. The key elements of this are:[3][4]

  • Continued development of the Typhoon.
  • Implement the Future Combat Air System Technology Initiative, established by the 2015 Strategic Defence and Security Review.
  • Study of Typhoon replacement programmes.
  • "Build on or establish new [international] partnerships to deliver future requirements."
  • Focus on affordability.

The document describes combat air as "An aircraft, manned or unmanned, whose prime function is to conduct air-to-air and/or air-to-surface combat operations in a hostile and/or contested environment, whilst having the ability to concurrently conduct surveillance, reconnaissance, electronic warfare and command and control tasks."[4]

On the same day, the then Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson introduced the Tempest programme at the Farnborough Airshow as part of the Combat Air Strategy to maintain UK's role as a leading nation in combat aircraft development and British defence industry's contribution in general to UK's prosperity.[5][6][7][8][9][10][11] It will be a sixth-generation jet fighter incorporating several new technologies including deep learning AI, ability to fly unmanned, swarming drones, directed-energy weapons,[7][8] virtual cockpit in helmet[6][9][12] and hypersonic weapons.[10] Two billion pounds was earmarked[13] until 2025,[7] equivalent to over 2.6 billion US dollars.[8][9][11][12] It was developed by a group called Team Tempest, consisting of the BAE Systems, project leader and systems integrator; Rolls-Royce, working on power and propulsion; Leonardo S.p.A., working on sensors, electronics and avionics; MBDA, working on weapons;[6][7][11][12] and the Royal Air Force (RAF) Rapid Capabilities Office.[5][9] It would be a modular design which both can easily be role-adapted with different weapons and equipment to fit the particular mission as well as have easily upgradeable components.[6][8] The aircraft was intended to enter service from 2035[5][6][9][10] after a first flight by 2025,[8] eventually replacing the Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft in service with the RAF.[7][13][11][12] Some technology developed for Tempest would be implemented in Typhoon as well, before the deployment of Tempest.[13] The presented model borrowed elements from BAE Systems Replica.[8] The RAF's Second World War Hawker Tempest fighter also followed a Typhoon.[14]

The UK MoD had reportedly been in talks during spring and summer of 2018 with officials from Sweden about a common fighter jet aircraft.[15][7] BAE Systems' Michael Christie, head of strategy on aircraft, expressed on the fair an interest of having Saab on the project.[16] Japanese Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera acknowledged the presentation and confirmed that discussions were ongoing about a partnership.[17]

There were concerns expressed that the Brexit could hinder the project,[8] but it has also been touted as the very reason the project was pushed forward.[10] Airbus' Dirk Hoke, head of Defence & Space division working on mainland European Future Combat Air System, believed that there was only room for one European stealth fighter on the market.[8][18]

On 8 February 2019, it was reported that the UK MoD and BAE Systems, who would attend the Aero India 2019 exhibition in Bengaluru, planned to approach the Indian MoD and Air Force regarding collaboration for the design and manufacture of the Tempest.[19]

In July 2019, Team Tempest revealed that they planned to use a Boeing 757 as a testbed for technology developed for Tempest.[20]

On 19 July 2019, Sweden and the United Kingdom signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to explore ways of jointly developing sixth-generation air combat technologies.[21][22] Swedish public service TV SVT reported that Sweden is now a part of the Tempest project,[23][24] but Jane's 360 later clarified that Sweden wasn't formally part of the Tempest project, but rather co-operated on the broader Combat Air Strategy, which Tempest is part of. A decision on full commitment to Tempest by Sweden would be taken in the third quarter of 2020.[25] It's been speculated that Sweden's relative reluctance to join Tempest is to not osborne their Gripen.[26] Italy announced its involvement in Team Tempest on 10 September 2019, during DSEI 2019.[25][27] The Statement of Intent was signed between the UK participant bodies and Italian participant companies (Leonardo Italy, Elettronica, Avio Aero and MBDA Italy).[28]

On 18 December 2019, Leonardo unveiled a new radar with significant improved characteristics meant for the Tempest.[29]

At the virtual Farnborough Airshow in July 2020, Defence Secretary Ben Wallace announced seven new companies were joining the Team Tempest consortium: GEUK, GKN, Collins Aerospace, Martin Baker, QinetiQ, Bombardier in Belfast (now Spirit Aerosystems) and Thales UK, along with UK universities and SMEs. Together the companies will develop more than 60 technology prototypes and demonstration activities. So far the programme has employed 1,800 and is expected to increase to 2,500 by 2021.[30] Trilateral industry discussions between UK, Sweden and Italy had begun.[31] Also announced was an initial investment of £50m in the project by Saab and the opening of a Future Combat Air Systems centre in the UK.[31][32][33] Saab never explicitly mentioned Tempest, though.[34]

Talks with Japan were ongoing in 2020.[20] Indian Defence Research Wing reported in October 2020 that the UK would have further talks with India at Aero India 2021.[35]

The involvement of Italy and Sweden was confirmed by the signing of a trilateral MoU with the UK, called Future Combat Air System Cooperation (FCASC), on 21 December 2020, "defining general principles for co-operation on an equal basis between the three countries".[36][37][unreliable source?] The commitment from Italy and Sweden has been questioned though, with one media outlet noting that Italy's Defence Policy Document for 2020-2022 only allocate funds for parts of Tempest that are to be used as upgrades for Typhoon as well.[38]

On 29 July 2021, the project moved into the Concept and Assessment phase, with BAE Systems being awarded a £250 million contract to advance the design.[39] In August 2021 Italy announced its intention to invest €2 billion by 2035 starting with a €20 million contribution in 2021 followed by the same amount in 2022 and 2023.[40]

In September 2021, a model of a modified Boeing 757 airliner, named the Excalibur, was showcased at DSEI 2021. Excalibur will be used as a test bed for Tempest's avionics and sensors and will be converted from an airliner by . According to the Royal Aeronautical Society, the aircraft will be the only stealth fighter testbed outside the United States.[41] On the fair it was also touted that work culture is the most important key to success.[41][42]

Talks with Japan were ongoing.[43]

Design[]

A mock-up of the Tempest at the DSEI fair in 2019

Tempest will be modular, both to be easily role-adapted to fit the particular mission as well as have easily upgradeable components during its lifetime.[6][8] It has delta-wings and a pair of outwards-pointing vertical stabilisers.[8] It will incorporate stealth technology, be able to fly unmanned, and use swarming technology to control drones. It will incorporate artificial intelligence deep learning and carry directed-energy weapons.[6][7][8][10] The aircraft will have a Cooperative Engagement Capability which is the ability to share data and messages with other aircraft and coordinate actions.[8][10] Tempest will feature virtual cockpit shown on a pilot's helmet-mounted display[6] using a Striker II unit,[12] and a an adaptive cycle engine[9] that leverages composite materials and improved manufacturing process to be lightweight and have better thermal management while still keeping costs low.[8] Engines are put deep inside the fuselage to minimise radar and infrared signatures.[8] A generator that delivers "unprecedented levels" of electrical power has also been developed for the aircraft.[30]

Leonardo has presented a radar with 4 times better precision at 1/10th of the size of current radars.[29]

The aircraft has a slightly raised rear fuselage section, to accommodate “S-shaped” ducting behind its twin engine inlets, to reduce its frontal radar cross section.[44]

Stealth would likely have precedence over performance. The generator is able to provide 10 times more power than on Typhoon.[1][45] One of the generators serves as an electrical starter, eliminating the need of a mechanical or compressed-air starting system for the engine.[46]

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ a b Magnuson, Stew (3 November 2021). "U.K.'s Tempest Jet Fighter Program Embraces 'Digital Revolution'". National Defense Magazine. Retrieved 27 December 2021.
  2. ^ Gady, Franz-Stefan (28 March 2017). "Japan and UK to Collaborate on Advanced Stealth Fighter Jet". The Diplomat. Retrieved 27 December 2021.
  3. ^ Taylor, Trevor (November 2000). "Gambling Responsibly and the UK Tempest Programme: Experiences, Risks and Opportunities" (PDF). Royal United Services Institute. Retrieved 16 March 2021.
  4. ^ a b "Combat Air Strategy: An ambitious vision for the future" (PDF). Ministry of Defence. 16 July 2018. Retrieved 16 March 2021.
  5. ^ a b c "Britain to take leading role in next-generation air power, as Defence Secretary launches Combat Air Strategy". The UK government. 16 July 2018. Retrieved 16 July 2018.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h "UK military aircraft technology". BAE Systems. Archived from the original on 16 July 2018. Retrieved 16 July 2018.
  7. ^ a b c d e f g Davies, Rob (16 July 2018). "UK unveils new Tempest fighter jet to replace Typhoon". The Guardian. Retrieved 16 July 2018.
  8. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Trevithick, Joseph (16 July 2018). "The U.K.'s New 'Tempest' Stealth Fighter Project Already Faces Serious Challenges". The Drive. Retrieved 16 July 2018.
  9. ^ a b c d e f Hoyle, Craig (July 2018). "Farnborough: Tempest concept underscores UK fighter ambitions". FlightGlobal. Retrieved 17 July 2018.
  10. ^ a b c d e f Mizokami, Kyle (16 July 2018). "U.K. Introduces New Fighter Jet: The Tempest". Popular Mechanics. Retrieved 17 July 2018.
  11. ^ a b c d IndraStra Global News Team (19 July 2018). "RAF Tempest — The Changing Dynamics of Cooperation". IndraStra. ISSN 2381-3652. Retrieved 20 July 2018.
  12. ^ a b c d e Ellis, Cat (21 July 2018). "Inside Tempest – the fighter jet of the future". TechRadar. Archived from the original on 15 July 2019. Retrieved 21 July 2018.
  13. ^ a b c "UK unveils new Tempest fighter jet model". BBC News. 16 July 2018. Retrieved 16 July 2018.
  14. ^ "Hawker Tempest V Performance". WWII Aircraft Performance. Retrieved 8 August 2018.
  15. ^ "UK in talks with Sweden over next-generation fighter jet". Financial Times. Nikkei. 4 July 2018. ISSN 0307-1766. Retrieved xxx 2021. Check date values in: |access-date= (help)
  16. ^ Augustsson, Tomas (17 July 2018). "Britterna vill ha med Saab i nytt stridsflyg" [The British want Saab to be part of new combat aircraft]. Svenska Dagbladet (in Swedish). ISSN 1101-2412. Retrieved 27 December 2021.
  17. ^ Gady, Franz-Stefan (2 August 2018). "Will Japan and the UK Collaborate on Sixth-Generation Tempest Future Fighter Aircraft?". The Diplomat.
  18. ^ Perry, Dominic (July 2018). "Airbus urges pan-European solution to future combat air system". Retrieved 27 December 2021.
  19. ^ Shukla, Ajai (8 February 2019). Written at New Delhi. "UK to invite India to co-develop sixth-generation fighter aircraft Tempest". Business Standard. India. OCLC 496280002. Retrieved 13 February 2019.
  20. ^ a b Osborne, Tony (10 July 2020). "Export-Centric Tempest Has Global Ambitions For Partners". Aviation Week. Retrieved 27 December 2021.
  21. ^ Sprenger, Sebastian (19 July 2019). "Saab banks on Gripen upgrade in new UK-Sweden warplane alliance". Defense News. Cologne. Retrieved 28 July 2019.
  22. ^ "UK and Sweden partner on future combat air". The UK government, MoD. 19 July 2019. Retrieved 27 December 2021.
  23. ^ Holm, Kerstin (19 July 2019). "Sverige och Storbritannien i samarbete om nytt stridsflyg" [Sweden and Great Britain in collaboration on new fighter aircraft]. Sveriges Television (in Swedish). Retrieved 27 December 2021. Storbritannien har stridsflyget Eurofighter Typhoon, men planerar nu för att utveckla ett nytt stridsflyg kallat Tempest. Det beräknas vara i drift 2040 och Sverige går nu in som samarbetspartner i projektet att utveckla ett framtida stridsflyg.
  24. ^ Olsson, Jonas (19 July 2019). ""Bygga stridsflyg har blivit för dyrt – kostnaderna skenar"" ["Building fighter jets has become too expensive – the costs are skyrocketing"]. Sveriges Television (in Swedish). Retrieved 27 December 2021. Det handlar inte bara om ett nytt stridsflygplan – Tempest. Det gäller även ett helt nytt stridssystem som ska vara verkligt år 2040 – om planerna går i lås.
  25. ^ a b Jennings, Gareth (11 September 2019). "DSEI 2019: Italy joins Tempest". Jane's 360. London. Archived from the original on 11 September 2019. Retrieved 11 September 2019.
  26. ^ Häggblom, Robin (20 July 2019). "No Tempest for Sweden (at least not yet)". Corpral Frisk. Retrieved 27 December 2021.
  27. ^ "L'Italia sceglie il "Tempest", il caccia di sesta generazione che sostituirà gli Eurofighter Typhoon" [Italy chooses the "Tempest", the sixth generation fighter that will replace the Eurofighter Typhoon.]. AeroStoria (in Italian). Retrieved 11 September 2019.
  28. ^ "UK and Italian industry to partner on Tempest". BAE Systems. London. 11 September 2019. Retrieved 16 September 2019.
  29. ^ a b "Tempest drives forward as Leonardo unveils new radar sensing technology". Leonardo (Press release). Rome. 18 December 2019. Retrieved 27 December 2021.
  30. ^ a b "New industry leaders partner with Team Tempest to deliver next generation combat aircraft". The UK government. 20 July 2020. Retrieved 26 July 2020.
  31. ^ a b "International industry collaboration on future combat air capability". BAE Systems. 22 July 2020. Retrieved 12 March 2021.
  32. ^ Kuper, Stephen (3 August 2020). "Saab launches expanded UK presence to support Team Tempest". Defence Connect. Momentum Media. Retrieved 27 December 2021.
  33. ^ Augustsson, Tomas (20 July 2020). "Saab siktar på stridsflyg – kan bli nya Gripen" [Saab aims for combat aircraft – could be new Gripen]. Svenska Dagbladet (in Swedish). ISSN 1101-2412. Retrieved 25 September 2021.
  34. ^ Jennings, Gareth (20 July 2020). "Sweden firms up FCAS partnership with UK, but no commitment to Tempest". Retrieved 27 December 2021.
  35. ^ "UK to have further talks with India on the Tempest sixth-gen fighter program at Aero India 2021". Indian Defence Research Wing. 15 October 2020. Retrieved 27 December 2021.
  36. ^ Peruzzi, Luca (3 January 2021). "Italy, UK and Sweden sign MoU on development of Tempest". Janes. Retrieved 7 January 2021.
  37. ^ "Italy, UK and Sweden sign MoU on Tempest development". Farnborough International News Network. 6 January 2021.
  38. ^ Tilenni, Giulia (10 July 2021). "FCAS / SCAF and TEMPEST: Programme Status Reports". European Security & Defence. Mittler Report Verlag. Retrieved 27 December 2021.
  39. ^ Allison, George (29 July 2021). "British 'Tempest' combat jet project gets more funding". UK Defence Journal. Retrieved 29 July 2021.
  40. ^ Kington, Tom (5 August 2021). "Italy hikes 2021 defense spending, finds cash for Tempest". Defense News. Retrieved 6 August 2021.
  41. ^ a b Robinson, Tim (17 September 2021). "Defence back on show - DSEI 2021 report". Royal Aeronautical Society. Retrieved 17 September 2021.
  42. ^ Hoyle, Craig (22 September 2021). "New mindset the key to Tempest success, partners say". FlightGlobal. Retrieved 27 December 2021.
  43. ^ Young, Sarah (29 September 2021). "UK set to sign contracts with Tempest partners, Japan talks ongoing". Reuters. London. Retrieved 27 December 2021.
  44. ^ Hoyle, Craig (23 August 2020). "Tempest windtunnel testing shows design detail". FlightGlobal. Retrieved 25 August 2020.
  45. ^ Pocock, Chris (8 November 2021). "Storm Warning Comes from UK in Form of Project Tempest". Aviation International News. Retrieved 27 December 2021.
  46. ^ Pozniak, Helena (13 July 2021). "Tempest: the stealthy and stress-free future fighter plane". The Institution of Engineering and Technology. Retrieved 27 December 2021.

External links[]

Tempest at the RAF

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