FUTURE FIGHTER

FIA 24 provided important insights into the Global Combat Air Programme, which will redefine the future of air combat, reports MIKE RAJKUMAR.

- MIKE RAJKUMAR

The recently Farnborough concluded International Airshow, (FIA 24) provided valuable insights into the future of air warfare. The requirement for an advanced 6th generation fighter stems from the UK's Combat Air Strategy, launched in 2018. This led to the formation in 2018 of the UK-based Team Tempest industry/Ministry of Defence (MOD) group and the establishment of the UKJapan-Italy Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP) in 2022. In December 2023, the Italian, Japanese, and British governments signed a treaty to partner on GCAP, marking a significant milestone in the development of a future combat air platform. The next generation combat aircraft being developed by GCAP will be known as Tempest in the UK.

FIA 24 was the first instance of the GCAP partners exhibiting at the show together. The consortium partners also unveiled a new concept model of the proposed 6th generation combat aircraft at Farnborough International Airshow. The new concept model features a much more evolved design with a larger wingspan for improved aerodynamics. The new aircraft model was also larger than previous concepts. "The new model unveiled at Farnborough International Airshow shows notable progress in the design and conception of this future fighter jet. We'll continue to test and evolve the design as we move closer towards the next phase of the programme," said Herman Claesen, Managing Director Future Combat Air Systems, BAE Systems. The lead industry partners for the GCAP programme are BAE Systems (UK), Leonardo (Italy) and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (Japan), while the Lead SubSystem Integrators on the programme are Avio Aero (Italy), ELT Group (Italy), IHI (Japan), Leonardo (Italy and UK), MBDA (Italy and UK), Mitsubishi Electric (Japan) and Rolls-Royce (UK).

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