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Team Tempest Addresses New GCAP

Italy, Japan and UK Give New Impetus to Future Combat Air Capability

Team Tempest, which has been working on the UK’s next generation of combat aircraft since 2018, will focus its activities henceforth on the new Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP), announced today by the governments of Italy, Japan and the United Kingdom, in which British industry will play a key role.

The joint announcement highlights the close government, military and industrial links between the nations, and reinforces Britain’s commitment to future combat air at the international level. The programme will build on the substantial progress already made in the UK by BAE Systems, Leonardo UK, MBDA UK, Rolls-Royce and the UK MoD, who have been working in partnership to research, evaluate and develop a host of next-generation future combat air systems capabilities.

The security of the United Kingdom, both today and for future generations, will always be of paramount importance to this government. That’s why we need to stay at the cutting edge of [advances] in defence technology – outpacing and out-manoeuvring those who seek to do us harm. The international partnership we have announced today with Italy and Japan aims to do just that, underlining that the security of the Euro-Atlantic and Indo-Pacific regions are indivisible. The next generation of combat aircraft we design will protect us and our allies around the world, by harnessing the strength of our world-beating defence industry – creating jobs while saving lives,” stated British Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak.

Britain’s £6 billion ($7.35 billion) annual combat air industry both supports national defence and security and delivers substantial economic and social value. GCAP could secure or create thousands of UK jobs, while keeping irreplaceable combat air engineering skills onshore for another generation. A PwC report published last year concluded that, should the UK take a core role in a next-generation fighter jet programme, it could expect to support an average of 21,000 jobs a year and contribution an estimated £26.2 billion to the economy by 2050.

Some 2,500 people are already working on the programme in the UK, as part of Team Tempest and wider industry efforts. Beyond the Team Tempest partners, more than 580 organisations are already on contract across the UK, including 91 SMEs and 26 academic institutions. The Team Tempest partners have recruited over 1,000 apprentices and graduates since the launch of the project in 2018, with young people nationwide inspired by the opportunity to be part of a once-in-a-generation combat air programme.

The UK industry partners have already generated strong working relationships with their counterparts in Italy and Japan, which will progress into the new joint development. These include IHI Corporation, Mitsubishi Electric and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries in Japan, and Avio Aero, Elettronica and Leonardo in Italy. It is expected that GCAP will generate long-term technological, industrial and social benefits for the three partner countries and inspire the next generation of engineering talent.

The emergence of a single international programme, backed by three Governments, represents a major point of maturity for our shared combat air vision and a strong vote of confidence in the readiness of industry to deliver the programme. At Leonardo, we are privileged to be a core part of this endeavour. The future aircraft’s integrated sensing, non-kinetic effects and integrated communications (ISANKE & ICS) will be at the heart of the system’s capability, ensuring that our armed forces can effectively respond to the threats of the future,” observed Mark Hamilton, Managing Director Electronics UK for Leonardo.

 

Italy, Japan and Britain see significant value in a common approach to next-generation combat air capabilities. (via BAE Systems)

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Publish date

12/09/2022

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