Tempest - Britain's new stealth fighter

[Nighthawke]

Well said Chris. If that approach to life had prevailed in WWII Britain there would have been a very different outcome.

[C24]

Why not continue improving the Typhoon with 2040 avionics and add another 50 units since we have the tooling?

[ChrisCwmbran]

I believe there is already a life extension for the Typhoon with new avionics, a leading wind edge modification and 15% more powerful engines.

[TonyO]

It's negativity like this that holds the UK back (and will result in us getting a much worse Brexit deal than we should have done). People like that should stop worrying about whether 5 year olds might be depressed or transgendered and remember the things that put the Great in Great Britain.

Negativity doesn't hold Brexit back, it is a bunch of useless Tory politicians lying and cheating and telling the British people a fallacy that will send the UK into a death spiral for at least generation just so they can make a quick buck. There is no positive to Brexit, and it will kill the armed forces if it happens.

[jem60]

So who would you replace the useless Tory politicians with???. Labour and J. Corbeyn?. Your're having a laugh!!!.

[ChrisCwmbran]

...just so they can make a quick buck.

I didn't want to make this a post about Brexit, but in answer to your point, the current arrangemernt with the EU benefits a minority of people in the UK very well, whilst doing nothing for the majority of the people of the UK.

Anyway, if we want to continue talking about Brexit there is a thread for that.

The UK has always been a great innovator and it will continue to be so. Not every project is a success but I see no reason at all to assume Tempest won't be, so let's not talk it down.

[Seahornet1]

Why not continue improving the Typhoon with 2040 avionics and add another 50 units since we have the tooling?

If we took this to its logical conclusion, we'd currently be operating F-4Zs, Hunter FGR23s, Spitfire Mk 78s or Sopwith Supercamels. There is always going to be a time when you need to start with a completely fresh platform to maximise the efficiency of the new gubbins, and the time to start serious design and development is well before the current design reaches the end of its development potential.

I'm all for national pride, but realistically, I think we all know that the current 'Tempest' initiative is just a kick-start to get other nations and manufacturers on board to form a SEPECAT / Panavia / Eurofighter style consortium; hopefully, it might even secure a leading role for the UK in this. I think the 'Tempest' name will survive (for UK assets, at least), and there's a chance that the eventual aircraft may bear some resemblance to the mock-up. Other than that, what you see is probably not what you'll get....

[PR9]

We're sending 14 year old Typhoons to RTP to save a few bob.
I'm all for a new British aircraft but where is the magic money tree?