FARNBOROUGH – Britain unveiled a model of a sleek proposed fighter jetnamed Tempest , raising questions about the future of European defencecooperation, given that Germany and France launched their own fighter jetprogram a year ago.
At the Farnborough Airshow, Defence Minister Gavin Williamson said 2billion pounds ($2.7 billion) had been earmarked to finance the programmeout to 2025 and that Britain would seek international partners to provideadditional funding.
The aircraft, meant to eventually replace the Eurofighter Typhoon jet, willbe developed and built by BAE Systems Plc , Britain’s biggest defencecompany, alongside UK engine-maker Rolls-Royce Holdings Plc , Italiandefence firm Leonardo , and European missile maker MBDA.
Unveiled before visiting foreign military chiefs and industry executives atthe BAE chalet, the new jet can be flown by a pilot or operated as a drone.
Germany and France are already working on a new jet, with the program ledby France’s Airbus , part of the Eurofighter consortium and DassaultAviation SA , the maker of the Rafale.
Industry executives said the two programs could eventually be fused, onceBritain and the European Union sorted out Britain’s departure from theeconomic bloc in nine months.
Failure to unite around a single fighter programme risked furtherfragmenting the European defence market, but the decision was up togovernment leaders, Airbus’s defence chief Dirk Hoke told Reuters.
“If the politicians decide differently, we’ll have to adapt, but in myopinion that would be bad for Europe,” he said.
Leonardo Chief Executive Alessandro Profumo also voiced hope that Europewould unite around one program. “It’s up to the governments, but Europe ismoving more and more towards being unified. I have to be optimistic.”
Air Vice-Marshal Simon Rochelle from Britain’s Royal Air Force said Britainwas having discussions with potential partner countries, including Swedenand Japan.
He said it was not clear if the UK project would eventually be merged withthe Franco-German one, adding, “We are having a lot of conversations with alot of countries.”
Analysts see Sweden as a likely partner, although countries such as SouthKorea, Japan and Turkey, or Gulf arms-buying nations like Saudi Arabia, arealso possibilities.
But experts say there is unlikely to be sufficient demand to support twoseparate European programmes, particularly given the high cost ofdeveloping a cutting-edge new aircraft.
UK plans call for the new jet to be operational by 2035, in time to replacethe Typhoon fleet when it ends service in 2040.
The jet is the centerpiece of a new UK combat air strategy that PrimeMinister Theresa May said was aimed at “maintaining our world-class airpower capabilities.”
France announced in June that it would take a leading role on a new fighterprogramme that would start as a bilateral effort with Germany but could beexpanded later.
The Typhoon, in contrast, was developed by the four-nation group ofGermany, Spain, Britain and Italy in the 1980s.
A German defence ministry spokesman declined to comment on the UKprogramme, but said the Franco-German project was open to additionalpartners.
Michael Christie, BAE Systems strategy director for air, said Britain hadthe capability to develop Tempest alone but that it made sense to developit with a partner given the cost and a desire to lock in future sales.
However, he added that BAE wanted to “play a leading role in whateverpartnership that we are involved in.”
Britain has not developed a fighter jet alone since the 1960s. However, ithelped develop and build the most advanced stealth fighter in the UK fleet,the US-made F-35, with BAE Systems carrying out about 15 percent of thework on each jet.