By Robbin Laird
With the anticipated announcement paralleling efforts in France and Germany, the UK government has announced its intention to build a Typhoon successor.
The initial investment was announced as two billion pounds and was launched as a UK national project.
But how realistic is this project as announced and in what strategic and military context will this project unfold?
We have provided a comprehensive look at the context and an assessment of the challenges in our report on the UK Air Combat Strategy, which can be purchased below:
With Brexit and the current European dynamics, how will the UK air combat strategy interact with European initiatives?
How will the UK leverage Typhoon and shape a post-Typhoon strategy?
How will the UK leverage the launch of its new carrier and the coming of the F-35 to shape a way ahead for a 21stcentury air combat strategy?
Will the new Air Combat Strategy live up to the legacy of Air Marshal Dowding and his focus on the right concepts of operations for the RAF to deal with evolving threats and challenges?
Which global partners might join this project and what manner?
In short, given the strategic context, how realistic is the project as announced?
For articles focusing on the UK strategy, see the following:
https://defense.info/partners-corner/2018/07/three-into-one-wont-go/
The featured photo shows a model of the Tempest jet fighter, unveiled by the defense secretary, Gavin Wiliamson, at the Farnborough airshow.
Photograph: Peter Nicholls/Reuters