UK flying high as ‘Tempest’ future jet fighter programme is given £656m boost

Nothing from the EU, but thousands of UK jobs and £26bn economic boost are predicted

Montage © Facts4EU.Org 2023

New funding will propel sixth-generation fighter jet project, creating high-skilled jobs

Yesterday the Government announced the next tranche of funding as part of a £2bn fighter jet development programme. The aim is to produce the next generation of stealth jets using the most advanced avionics yet. The project is intended to put the United Kingdom back at the forefront of military aviation, with thousands of high-skilled jobs being created for decades to come.

The EU as an entity is not involved – this project is a co-production between the UK, Japan and Italy (on its own as a relatively independent country). The first of these new fighter jets are expected to enter service in 2035.

Brexit Facts4EU.Org Summary

A cutting edge military project in response to increasing global threats

Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP) – a trilateral collaboration with Japan and Italy
A new combat air platform, due to enter service by 2035
More than £650 million allocated to continue development of next generation fighter jet ‘Tempest’
Programme to support thousands of jobs across the United Kingdom as it expands
UK focused on aircraft’s 2035 in-service date to ensure UK Armed Forces remain a step ahead
2,800 people working already, with almost 600 organisations on contract across the UK

[Sources: MoD and BAE Systems.]

A global partnership – and the EU as a bloc is not involved

As part of the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP) – a trilateral collaboration with Japan and Italy to develop the next generation of fighter jet - the UK’s Ministry of Defence has awarded the major contract to BAE Systems on behalf of British defence firms; Leonardo UK, MBDA UK and Rolls-Royce, to progress the design and development of this aircraft. ”Tempest” is the UK name for the aircraft in development under GCAP.

The economic benefits to the UK

The Tempest programme is expected to deliver significant benefits to the UK over the full lifetime of the programme, benefiting all regions of the UK. Key highlights :-

Expected to deliver £26.2bn economic contribution between 2021 and 2050 (NPV, 2019)
Expected to provide long term critical sovereign capability in design and development of combat air systems
Sustainment of high value jobs and support on average 21,000 workers per year (2026-2050)
Creation of high productivity employment, with an average GVA per worker 78% higher than UK national average at £101,000 and 42% higher than the UK manufacturing average

The contract will build on the ground-breaking science, research and engineering already completed. The MOD and its industry partners are working in close collaboration with GCAP partners Japan and Italy. Together, they will now progress the maturity of more than 60 cutting-edge technology demonstrations, digital concepts and new technologies.

These are critical to the UK’s sovereign defence capability and will help shape the final requirements with Japan and Italy for the combat air platform, due to enter service by 2035.

The aircraft is designed to be an ”innovative stealth fighter with supersonic capability and equipped with cutting edge technologies”, including state-of-the-art sensing and protection capabilities. This will make the aircraft one of the world’s most advanced, interoperable, adaptable and connected fighter jets in service globally.

Yesterday Defence Secretary, the Rt Hon Ben Wallace MP, said:

“The next tranche of funding for future combat air will help fuse the combined technologies and expertise we have with our international partners – both in Europe and the Pacific - to deliver this world-leading fighter jet by 2035, protecting our skies for decades to come.”

The UK’s Rejoiners and ‘Globalists’ have received over £3.5m in foreign funding

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The economic benefits of the last UK fighter jet developments

Here is what BAE Systems have to say :-

“Combat Air delivers on average £6bn of revenue to the UK every year and is responsible for 85% of defence exports from the UK. Every major programme has returned significantly more money to the UK Government than originally invested. Programmes including Hawk and Typhoon have delivered impressive economic return for the UK.”
“The initial £800m the Government invested in Hawk led to the most successful trainer aircraft in history with over 1,000 platforms sold, the vast majority exported, delivering a return of more than £16bn to the UK economy.
“On Eurofighter Typhoon, the UK Government has invested £12bn, but from export sales has seen double that revenue return to the UK economy, with the potential of more to come.”

Part of UK’s response to growing defence threats from Russia, China, and Middle East

This investment forms part of more than £2 billion worth of UK Government spending on the project up to May 2025, announced in the 2021 Defence Command Paper.

GCAP will span several decades, creating thousands of jobs and economic value across the UK. There are already more than 2,800 people working at the UK partners and wider industry, with almost 600 organisations on contract across the UK, including SMEs and academic institutions.

Across UK industry, work on this programme is driving investment in new digital technologies, tools and techniques. This is intended to ensure the next generation combat aircraft will be delivered more rapidly and more cost-effectively than previous combat air programmes.

Observations

If you want protection, forget the EU

The simple fact is that the EU as an entity continues to prove itself to be utterly incapable of defending itself from military aggression. In an ever more uncertain world, its largest member country Germany has failed on countless occasions to step up in response to Putin’s illegal invasion of Ukraine – on its eastern borders. Overall the bloc’s defence spending has been pitiful for decades, as we have previously reported on many occasions.

Some EU member countries have recently been doing better but they are all on the EU’s Eastern flank and most have small economies and small populations. Poland looks like it might be the exception, with major plans to increase the size of its military.

In the meantime it is the Royal Air Force that is flying missions to protect the EU’s eastern flank, the British Army that is on the ground defending several EU countries, and the Royal Navy that has been conducting patrols from the north-east flank of the EU right down to the Mediterranean and into the Black Sea.

We should put in a massive bill to the EU Commission for this.

Brexit Britain is a global player

The UK has also been making its presence felt much further afield, including protecting the interests of the British and EU27 consumer by patrolling in the Taiwan Straits. Taiwan is a major supplier to the UK and the EU of vital components.

The United Kingdom is now part of the tripartite AUKUS pact between the UK, Australia and the US, developing next-generation nuclear-powered submarines for use in the Indo-Pacific. This is another programme creating many high-skilled jobs in the UK.

Meanwhile, President Macron has said the Indo-Pacific is not a matter for the EU. When China invades Taiwan and France’s manufacturers struggle to import semiconductors, he might wish to revise his views.

We must get reports like this out there

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[ Sources: Ministry of Defence | BAE Systems | EU Commission ] Politicians and journalists can contact us for details, as ever.

Brexit Facts4EU.Org, Sat 15 Apr 2023

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Reader Comments 12

1. Sparky , Saturday, April 15, 2023, 07:04:

This is good news, BAE Systems has proud British Heritage and over time has absorbed some great British names like Vickers and Avro.
However, this has nothing to do with Brexit. One of the development partners of the Tempest will be Leonardo UK which is Spanish owned and has a Spanish CEO.
The F35 Lightning was developed by Lockheed Martin based in the USA and BAE Systems, development of which began in 2001.
I suppose all on Facts4EU will hate the Typhoon that the Tempest will replace because it was developed as the Euro Fighter.
The success of the Tempest will rely on global sales and the EU will be a crucial target for sales.
Nothing to do with Brexit or a Brexit win, this would have happened in or out of the EU but it is a great development for the UK.

2. LuxuryBalloon , Saturday, April 15, 2023, 07:34:

I rather have my taxes going to strengthen our military than pay for the Triple Lock.

3. Gazzablack , Saturday, April 15, 2023, 09:45:

2, As long as my taxes aren't going to fund the EU budget in lieu of either defence or pensions then I'm content.

4. terence patrick hewett , Saturday, April 15, 2023, 11:14:

Buster, every time you post you display your ignorance: in this case ignorance of industry. If we were still in the EU we would have joined with FCAS not GCAP. Likewise AUKUS and CPTPP membership: both impossible without Brexit.

5. KB , Saturday, April 15, 2023, 12:01:

Why can't we put this kind of investment into, say, nuclear power stations.
Even mending our third-world roads would be something.

6. Have You Wondered , Saturday, April 15, 2023, 12:03:

.
2. LuxuryBalloon
3. Gazzablack
.
Well - howabout combining pensions and arms manufacture ? Read on:
.
The ECJ ruled in a judgement 25th September 2018 that MEP's did not have to account for their €4k a month expenses! (Now €4,778 per month to keep the MEP's subservient?) The cash is officially meant for expenses, but MEPs will no longer need to provide evidence or keep receipts."
Search: transparency ecj rules against mep expenses transparency
.
How on earth can that be an independent/fair/just & most of all an un-coerced decision?
All the rest in the real world have problem claiming a cup of tea without a chit in triplicate!?
.
If they want to hide that issue - what larger scams would they hide?
.
Then Read on.
.
That ECJ ruling then enabled :
Those very same unaccountable expenses are then being invested into the MEP's pension funds that are very 'un-eco' or into Arms manufacture.
Needless to say - the EU won't talk about it - surprise - surprise!
"MEP pension fund invested in oil giants behind eco-disasters"
Search: euobserver green economy 156605
"Aside from the ethical questions of using European taxpayer money to invest in the arms industry to finance an MEP pension fund...!
Search: euobserver rule of law 156578
MEP pension fund invested in cluster munition arms industry
.
How many other unethical scams have been enabled by this ECJ judgment ?
.
Here's the icing on the cake :
MEP's pension fund - "which then needs bailing out to the tune of €400m from the public. " !!!
Search: euobserver rule of law 156578
.
That's some European Court of Justice - would you trust them to be unbiased and honourable? Do you recommend being ruled over by them?
.
Why does the UK (or any other nation) need another level of corruption, ineptitude and malfeasance above that which the UK has already?
.

7. Buster , Saturday, April 15, 2023, 14:04:

Defence isn’t an EU competence - so of course the EU isn’t involved.
Do you people still have no idea how it all works? Honestly, it is embarrassing that you produce such guff.

8. Buster , Saturday, April 15, 2023, 14:31:

Obviously I am not a Brexit fan. But even I am surprised at just how epically Brexit has failed. It would be quite funny if it were not so sad for our country and our children.
But there is a positive. All the Brexitists in Parliament and beyond who have so badly harmed our country will one day face a reckoning for their treachery. And lots of them will end up behind bars.

9. Sparky , Saturday, April 15, 2023, 15:00:

6 HYEV. No need to worry about the EU, we’ve got a lot more of our own corruption with Owen Patterson, Kwasi Kwateng, Matt Hancock and Scott Benton A’s well lots of questionable activity by Johnson. And that’s before we start mentioning lies, untruths etc.
.
As for our own pensions, keep an eye on them, Jeremy Hunt is planning to relax controls to allow more greater returns, shorthand for allowing increased risk!

10. jon iivesey , Saturday, April 15, 2023, 16:23:

It's funny watching Buster getting tangled up in his own logic. If something happens that he does not like it is absolutely 100% the fault of leaving the EU. If something good happens, it would have happened anyway, the EU ,made it happen, the CEO is second cousin to a Dane, we'll need the EU for sales and blah, blah, blah.
There is only one way to be consistent about this. Brexit was just the act of leaving the EU. Brexit does not control anything or even exist as an entity. All there is, is the UK making its own decisions and solving its own problems, like any normal country.
Tempest is good news, especially since we have Japan as our major partner, but Tempest has not much more to do with the EU than my cat has to do with Euro 2023.

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