Tempest could be a game-changer: A lot of buzz surrounding the U.S. Air Force’s Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) program has monopolized media headlines in recent months. The service’s revealed plans to incorporate unmanned drones to fly alongside its new generation of fighter jets, which has aviation buffs questioning the future of modern air warfare.
America is not the only nation that is developing a sixth-generation fighter platform. The United Kingdom awarded manufacturer BAE Systems with a staggering $822 million contract to develop the new ‘leapfrog’ sixth-generation stealth fighter last month.
The Minister of State for the Ministry of Defense announced that “The UK capability to deliver ‘Control of the Air’ beyond Typhoon out of service date has been described in the Future Combat Air System (FCAS) Concept of Employment and supporting documents. This requirement describes an integrated system of systems, in which the core platform is currently referred to as Tempest.” The UK’s new Tempest fighter is expected to join the fleet by 2035 and will replace the infamous Typhoon Eurofighter.
Introducing the Tempest Fighter
The United Kingdom first released its Combat Air Strategy in 2018, from which the incoming Tempest fighter is derived. Included in the Ministry of Defense’s strategy was the prioritization of studying Typhoon replacements and the incorporation of the Future Combat Air System Technology Initiative into a new platform.
When the UK officially debuted the fighter concept at the Farnborough International Air Show, its spokesperson affirmed that Tempest was not just about hardware: “It is about the weapons, the sensors, its battlespace connectivity, and how information is moved around its network. Tempest will exploit our world-class industrial base, pairing our brightest minds with digital ways of working.”
The Tempest Program is a Collaborative Effort
In addition to BAE Systems, weapons manufacturer MBDA UK, power plant developer Rolls-Royce, and the electronics company Leonardo UK are considered Team Tempest industry partners. International actors are also participating in the sixth-generation jet’s development.
In 2019, Sweden partnered with the UK to jointly produce the airframe. Italy also signed a statement of intent to cooperate on the Tempest’s development. Japan also got its foot in the door to participate in the new fighter program, specifically in the engine department.
Expected Specs and Capabilities
The Tempest is expected to host a litany of advancements unavailable to its predecessors. In addition to virtual cockpits and a speedy new Rolls Royce-designed engine, the sixth-generation jet will fly alongside companion drones just like the U.S. Air Force’s NGAD fighter. As outlined in Sandboxx News, “the Tempest will be designed to operate with its own flock of drones. These drones will extend the Tempest’s sensor reach, engage targets on the pilot’s behalf, and potentially even sacrifice themselves to save the crewed aircraft from inbound attack.”
Electronics company Leonardo is also reportedly working on a new Multi-Function Radar Frequency System that will build on the Tempest’s avionics and electronics capabilities.
While the UK has indicated that it would like to see additional partner nations join the Tempest program, France, Germany, and Spain are developing their own joint Future Combat Air System.
These collaborative efforts, in addition to America’s own next NGAD, indicate a sixth-generation fighter may take to the skies within the next decade.
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Maya Carlin, a Senior Editor for 19FortyFive, is an analyst with the Center for Security Policy and a former Anna Sobol Levy Fellow at IDC Herzliya in Israel. She has by-lines in many publications, including The National Interest, Jerusalem Post, and Times of Israel. You can follow her on Twitter: @MayaCarlin.
