TEMPEST SHOULD INDEED BE REVIEWED

The new Labour government in the UK predictably ordered a new defence review. Excitable national media journalists soon wrote that the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP) aka Tempest might be scrapped, citing comments by the Prime Minster and the Armed Forces Minister. Actually they said nothing of the sort, but as I wrote previously here, … Continue reading TEMPEST SHOULD INDEED BE REVIEWED

MAKE FCAS A PRIORITY, NOT TEMPEST

Soon after the next British government takes office, it must take an important decision: whether to approve full-scale development of the Tempest sixth-generation combat aircraft. Right now, the go-ahead looks like a foregone conclusion. It shouldn’t be.

TEMPEST – STILL NO RATIONALE

The proponents of the Tempest future combat aircraft organized a storm of publicity as part of the virtual Farnborough Air Show this week. But I heard nothing to change my view that the project is not necessary for many years yet, and the wrong outlet for engineering skills in these extraordinary times. There was much … Continue reading TEMPEST – STILL NO RATIONALE

WE DON’T NEED A NEW COMBAT AIRCRAFT

Airbus Defence and Space chief Dirk Hoke has called for a merger of the UK-led Tempest next-generation combat jet (left) with the Franco-German Future Combat Air System (FCAS - right). In a video lecture for the Royal Aeronautical Society (RAeS), he said “we cannot afford two systems of that size…the market is too small”. I’m … Continue reading WE DON’T NEED A NEW COMBAT AIRCRAFT