Britain to Develop 'Next-Generation' Combat Air Demonstrator within 5 Years

The United Kingdom has confirmed that the new next-generation combat air demonstrator will take to the skies within the next five years.

The demonstrator will play a critical role in proving the technology and design principles needed to deliver the UK’s Future Combat Air System (FCAS), BAE Systems said in a release. The manned, supersonic aircraft will test stealth features as well as other new technologies.

Work is being led by BAE Systems, working with the Ministry of Defence and a number of suppliers across the UK. This project will deliver the first flying combat air demonstrator in a generation - designed and developed in the UK. The demonstrator aircraft will fly within the next five years.

The flagship project is part of a suite of novel technologies being developed by Team Tempest. These concepts are designed to demonstrate and test the next generation combat air skills, tools, processes and techniques needed to ensure Tempest, the UK’s FCAS, achieves in service in 2035.

Team Tempest comprises the expertise of the Ministry of Defence; and BAE Systems, Leonardo UK, Rolls-Royce and MBDA UK. Launched in 2018, alongside the UK’s Combat Air Strategy, Tempest will play a crucial role in providing long-term defence and security for the UK.

Engineers at BAE Systems across the North of England are leading the design, test, evaluation and build process, bringing together new and novel digital engineering technologies such as synthetic modelling and model-based systems engineering.

The demonstrator will provide evidence for the critical technologies, methods and tools, which will be used on the core platform. As part of the broader activity involved in developing Tempest, the demonstrator programme is also helping retain, further develop and stimulate the next generation of skills and expertise required to deliver this ambitious programme.