Today has seen the announcement of the new Tempest jet through the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP), a new partnership which joins forces between the UK, Italy and Japan. This joint-venture aims to generate hundreds of high-skills jobs in the UK over the next 10 years.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will visit RAF Coningsby in Lincolnshire today to launch the first phase of the collaboration.
The Team Tempest jet is planned to become operational in 2035, replacing the current Eurofighter Typhoon. Autonomous control, innovative data systems and in-built artificial intelligence to allow the aircraft to remain in combat should the pilot lose consciousness are a few of the many planned enhanced capabilities.
The programme builds on the progress already made in the UK by Team Tempest, which has seen DGP partners MBDA UK, BAE Systems, Leonardo UK, Rolls-Royce and UK Ministry of Defence work in partnership since 2018.
