Treaty signed to create Tempest - the RAF's next supersonic stealth fighter

[Craiglxviii]

An international agreement has been signed between the UK, Japan and Italy to develop an innovative stealth fighter with supersonic capabilities as part of the Tempest project.

The Tempest aircraft will deploy new, game-changing technology and is set to join the RAF fleet from 2035, replacing the Typhoon.

The treaty marks a key stage of the landmark Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP), and the headquarters of the programme will be based in Britain.

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Defence Secretary Grant Shapps said the project was "crucial to global security" and would bring the UK closer to its two partner nations.

He added: "Our world-leading combat aircraft programme aims to be crucial to global security and we continue to make hugely positive progress toward delivery of the new jets to our respective air forces in 2035.

"The UK-based headquarters will also see us make important decisions collaboratively and at pace, working with our close partners Italy and Japan and our impressive defence industries to deliver an outstanding aircraft."

https://www.forces.net/technology/aircr ... th-fighter

Good news.

[Nathan45]

2035 seems optimistic for a new fighter...

[Nik_SpeakerToCats]

"2035 seems optimistic for a new fighter..."

Perhaps not as, IIRC, closely resembles one of the sub-scale UCAVs that BAE Systems fly...

Hopefully, TEMPEST will have a lot of internal commonality with TYPHOON...

[kdahm]

2035 seems optimistic for a new fighter...

On the contrary, it's much too late.

They're both using the old school "everything must be perfect at first flight" rules and burying a lot of research money as procurement. By the time of first flight, with an IOC of 2035, all of the electronics started today will be obsolete. Assuming the schedule doesn't slip, which it always does by at least five years. So what will the next three years of the project look like, anyway? Deciding on airframe and engine?

No, better to target an earlier date for first flight, something like 2029. IOC in 2032. If there is something that hold back those dates, either leave it out for Block 1 or modify the Block 1 requirements so that it isn't a problem. If there's such a problem with avionics and electronics integration, use something like CANBUS so that there's some plug and play functionality. And at a certain point, start building airframes and flying them as drones. Who cares if they crash, if they can get some data out of them. For the first dew iterations, just use an aluminum skin because they're checking flying characteristics, not radar reflectivity.

First simplify, then complicate. Starting with a 747 instead of a DC-3 when you're currently on Ford Trimotors is a recipe for disaster.

[Craiglxviii]

"2035 seems optimistic for a new fighter..."

Perhaps not as, IIRC, closely resembles one of the sub-scale UCAVs that BAE Systems fly...

Hopefully, TEMPEST will have a lot of internal commonality with TYPHOON...

This I believe takes a LOT of work from TARANIS, which kicked off 15-17 years ago.

Electronics fit is interesting, it’s being designed to be as “future proofed” as possible so think “plug and play”.