Combat Air Strategy:

An ambitious vision for the future

© Crown copyright 2018
Contents

Foreword 4

Executive Summary 6

Introduction 8

Chapter 1 – Strategic Context 10

Chapter 2 – Industrial Landscape 16

Chapter 3 – International by Design 21

Chapter 4 – National Value in Combat Air 24

Chapter 5 – A New Approach to Capability Delivery 28

Chapter 6 – Next Steps 30

Disclaimers 32

Acknowledgements 33

Combat Air Strategy 3

Foreword
by The Secretary of State for Defence

The United Kingdom has been a pioneer in air A strong national Combat Air sector gives the
power for more than 100 years. As the Royal Air UK the military capability we need to defend the
Force enters its second century, we celebrate country and our national interests, and choice
their continuous contribution to protecting our in how we provide that capability without relying
people and safeguarding our national interests. on others – the very essence of sovereignty. We
We have consistently demonstrated our prowess face a more complex and uncertain world than
for invention and innovation, including the first ever, demanding a robust and agile national
purpose built air-to-air combat aircraft, the first response. The world-class industrial, technical
ground-based integrated radar defence system, and scientific know-how which underpins
the turbojet engine and the first vertical take-off our success in Combat Air has been hard
and landing aircraft. Building on our proud history won and we are now at a pivotal moment – a
and to ensure we secure world-leading capability, juncture where we need to act if we are to keep
I am launching a new capability acquisition highly skilled jobs and world-class sovereign
programme to replace Typhoon when it leaves technologies. We could choose to let this
Royal Air Force service – an exciting first step into essential industry die; the Strategy creates the
a second century of UK Combat Air capability. conditions for it to thrive and grow.

Our technical and industrial expertise has put Our vision is for the UK to remain at the leading
the UK at the heart of successful international edge of Combat Air system development
collaborations including Tornado, Typhoon to protect our people, project influence and
and F-35. The UK Combat Air industry has promote our prosperity. To do this the Ministry
delivered significant economic benefit to the UK, of Defence and industry must build on success,
through the development of the most advanced rapidly change our approach and work together
technologies, employment of a highly skilled to achieve common goals. We must develop
workforce and huge success in the export more capability, more quickly, for less. It is nearly
market. The sector has grown to an annual 40 years since Typhoon was conceived, in that
turnover of over £6Bn, directly supporting over time technology has revolutionised all aspects of
18,000 jobs and more than 2000 companies life from the arrival of the internet to the latest IT
across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern and smartphone technologies. Defence and the
Ireland, with many thousands more across the Combat Air sector must develop the tools and
supply chain. The Combat Air sector delivers approaches to embrace the pace of technological
UK jobs, UK design, UK innovation and UK change seen across all industrial sectors.
sovereign capability by taking an innovative and
international approach. This Strategy lays out a
vision for how the UK will remain at the forefront
in this critical sector as we leave the EU; ensuring
we can continue to make a pivotal contribution to
European and global security.

4 Combat Air Strategy

The UK already has a long and proud history The Strategy builds on success and enables
of delivering world-class Combat Air systems us to deliver the UK’s – and our partners’ –
through collaborative programmes. We also have future military capabilities. This will ensure a
a unique global network of international partners sustainable and globally competitive industry
in Combat Air which we will develop even further in the UK for the long term. It will deliver a
to maximise mutual benefit and reinforce our strategic approach to defence acquisition which
ability to operate together. This Strategy sets out maximises the value to the UK.
how we will deliver this agenda.

This Combat Air Strategy is a crucial pillar of the

Government’s Modernising Defence Programme.
It sets out our aspirations and identifies how
we will make this vision real, giving industry
and international partners a clear signal of our The Rt Hon Gavin Williamson CBE MP
national intent and our desire to work together. Secretary of State for Defence
Our investment of nearly £2Bn over ten years
in the Future Combat Air System Technology
Initiative provides the means to develop the
technologies of the future. The Strategy confirms
investments in and upgrades to existing
capabilities such as Typhoon and F-35 to keep
them at the cutting edge well into the future.

Combat Air Strategy 5

Executive Summary

1. The 2015 Strategic Defence and Security 5. Our Combat Air capability will largely be
Review and the 2018 National Security based around Typhoon and F-35 for the
Capability Review outlined an intensifying coming decades. By investing in the
and evolving threat picture and confirmed continuous development of these capabilities
investment in the next generation of Combat we can ensure the future force remains world-
Air technology in partnership with our class. We will continue to take the best of
defence aerospace industry and our closest these capabilities and spiral-develop them
allies. The UK’s ability to generate and into any future system we may develop.
employ Combat Air power therefore remains
critical to delivering our national security 6. We anticipate the future air environment will
and to supporting the Government’s vision become increasingly complex, with rapid
for a strong, prosperous, influential and technological advancements especially in
global Britain. sensing, data management and autonomy.
We believe that information advantage will be
2. The UK is a global leader in Combat Air, with critical, as will the ability to exploit and defeat
cutting-edge military capability underpinned emerging technologies.
by world-class industrial, technical and
scientific know-how. The UK Combat Air 7. The UK’s ability to choose how we deliver our
sector has an annual turnover of over £6Bn future requirements (including maintenance
and directly supports over 18,000 skilled jobs and upgrade of current systems) is
across the UK with many more in the wider dependent on maintaining access to a
supply chain. dynamic and innovative industrial base.
The Strategy highlights the criticality of
3. The 2015 Strategic Defence and Security cutting-edge UK technology and Intellectual
Review established the Future Combat Air Property, including how this is generated,
Systems Technology Initiative to sustain sustained and exploited.
investment in the Combat Air sector. This
remains critical if the UK is to continue to 8. This Strategy defines a clear way ahead, to
develop next generation technology. Without preserve our national advantage and maintain
sustained investment our advantage would choice in how it is delivered:
rapidly decline.
 The Ministry of Defence will continue to
4. Operational advantage and freedom of action invest in upgrading Typhoon, continuously
in Combat Air enables the UK to achieve improving its systems to achieve a
our military and strategic objectives, but the ‘beyond-4th generation’ capability.
threat we face is evolving and proliferating
ever more rapidly.

6 Combat Air Strategy

 By implementing the Future Combat Air  The UK will take a strategic approach
System Technology Initiative, established to Combat Air, using a National Value
by the 2015 Strategic Defence and Security Framework that maximises the overall
Review, including commencing the critical value the UK derives from the sector. We
next phase of the National Programme, we will seek to balance military capability,
will provide investment in key UK design international influence, economic and
engineering skills and a means to generate prosperity benefits.
UK Intellectual Property.
 Effectiveinternational partnering in
 TheMinistry of Defence will now initiate Combat Air is fundamental to the delivery
the UK’s capability acquisition programme of our national goals and management
to define and deliver the future capabilities of cost. The UK has a unique network
required when Typhoon leaves Royal Air of capability collaborations and will work
Force service. This will deliver a Strategic quickly and openly with allies to build on
Outline Business Case for the Typhoon or establish new partnerships to deliver
successor by the end of 2018, with an initial future requirements.
acquisition decision by the end of 2020.
9. The Government will take forward this
 Government and industry will work together programme of work to preserve the UK’s
to achieve a more open and sustainable operational advantage and freedom of
industrial base which invests in its own action while maximising the economic and
future, partners internationally and breaks strategic benefits that result from the UK
the cycle of increasing cost and length of playing a major role in any future Combat Air
Combat Air development programmes. acquisition programme.

Operational Advantage: Freedom of Action:

The ability to find and maintain an edge over The ability to determine our internal and
potential adversaries, both to increase the external affairs and act in the country’s
chances of our success in hostile situations interests free from intervention by other
and to increase the protection of the UK states or entities, in accordance with our
assets involved, especially our people. legal obligations.

Combat Air Strategy 7

Introduction

This document initiates a strategic approach to

the UK’s Combat Air sector. As a first step it sets
an ambitious vision for the future and confirms
how the UK will retain its ability to choose how
we meet our future requirements.

The Strategy identifies decisions we need to

make now and sets a framework and roadmap
for future decisions. It challenges Government
and industry to cooperate in transforming
our approach to the sector, driving pace and
affordability. It gives our international partners
a clear signal of our intent and proposes rapid
further engagement. Finally, it confirms we will
commence the next phase of the technology
demonstration programme established by the
2015 Strategic Defence and Security Review
and initiates the long-term capability acquisition
programme that will underpin our future
capability delivery. The Ministry of Defence will
develop a detailed implementation plan with
partners to deliver the objectives of the Strategy
and prepare the groundwork for the UK’s future
acquisition decisions.

8 Combat Air Strategy

Combat Air Strategy 9
Chapter 1
Strategic Context
 The UK’s ability to employ air power remains critical to delivering our national
security and supports the Government’s vision for a strong, prosperous, influential
and global Britain.
 As confirmed in the 2018 National Security Capability Review the threats we face are
increasingly complex and diverse. We expect this trend to continue in the coming years.
 Our national advantage is defined by our ability to design, develop, upgrade and certify
capabilities to address evolving threats and meet operational requirements.
 The UK Combat Air industry requires clarity of our approach and continuing investment
in next generation capability.

The importance of Combat Air to the UK

1. Air power is critical to our ability to deliver 2. The ability to deter and defeat potential
our national security and to support the adversaries and to do so at a time and
Government’s vision for a strong, prosperous, place of our choosing in Combat Air are
influential and global Britain. The air power prerequisites to the UK’s ability to deliver
attributes of height, speed, reach, agility and its defence, foreign policy and economic
ubiquity provide a responsive and scalable objectives. Our operational advantage
military tool of national power. Combat Air ensures that the UK can deliver Control of the
is a critical component of air power and has air and Attack functions successfully and our
made a major contribution to UK operational freedom of action means we can act free
success since the formation of the Royal Air from intervention by other states or entities.
Force 100 years ago.

1912 1937 1944 1959 1962

B.E.2 Hurricane Meteor Lightning Buccaneer

1900 1910 1920 1930 1940 1950 1960

Camel Spitfire Hunter Phantom Harrier

1917 1938 1954 1969

10 Combat Air Strategy

3. Following the retirement of Tornado in 2019,
the UK’s Combat Air requirements will be Combat Air:
delivered through a combination of upgraded
Typhoon and F-35. The 2015 Strategic An aircraft, manned or
Defence and Security Review committed to an
extensive programme of upgrades to ensure
unmanned, whose prime
Typhoon’s operational effectiveness and to function is to conduct air-
enable the aircraft to operate with the Royal
Air Force until at least 2040.
to-air and/or air-to-surface
combat operations in a
The Challenge hostile and/or contested
4. The roles and demands we place on Combat environment, whilst having
Air have evolved significantly over time and
the threats and counters to their capabilities the ability to concurrently
have also become more complex. High conduct surveillance,
capability threat systems have proliferated
widely in the last 20 years, both to state and reconnaissance, electronic
non-state actors, and we expect this trend to warfare and command and
continue. Upgrades to the legacy systems
of potential adversaries and the increasing control tasks.
availability of off-the-shelf options mean threat
systems are ever more versatile, affordable
and adaptable, particularly as they become
more software-enabled. 6. The 2018 National Security Capability Review
highlighted that the world has become more
5. For much of the last two decades the UK and uncertain and volatile since 2015. In 2017
our allies focused our attention on counter- the Ministry of Defence’s Development,
insurgency operations in environments where Concepts and Doctrine Centre produced
we were largely unchallenged in the air domain. the Future Force Concept, which concluded
Investment by adversaries in highly capable that the future air domain will continue to be
systems has reduced the technological characterised by highly-capable integrated air
advantage that Western air forces have in defence systems and an increasingly complex
achieving and maintaining control of the air. electro-magnetic environment. Space and

1979 2018

Next generation
Tornado F-35 Combat Air

1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 2020 2030

Jaguar Typhoon

1974 2003

Combat Air Strategy 11

 rol
cont
d
d an Control of the air
an Offensive counter air
m Defensive counter air
m
o
rc
Ai

Air mobility
ISR Strategic airlift
SF Ops
Intelligence Tactical airlift
Personnel
Surveillance Recovery Air-to-air refueling
Reconnaissance Aeromedical
evacuation
Strike co-ord and Air logistic
reconnaissance Airborne operations
support
Anti-surface warfare Littoral manoeuvre
Anti-sub warfare

l
tro
Attack

n
co
Strategic attack Carrier strike
d
Air interdiction Electronic warfare an
d
Close air support
Close combat attack
Psychological ops
Rotary-wing strike man
m
co
Air

The four roles of air power Combat Air elements shown in white italics

Cyber domains will also become increasingly 7. The integration of more technology and the
important as we seek to maintain information increasing complexity of Combat Air systems
advantage. Combat Air systems will need to drives greater cost into programmes. To
be agile and adaptable to address this future counter threats effectively, governments
environment and we will need to harness are therefore forced to trade between
technological change over their lifetimes. capability and platform numbers to ensure
programmes remain affordable, while driving
existing platforms to remain in service
longer. Increases in service life of systems,
alongside greater time between project
initiation and delivery creates greater risk of
early obsolescence and irrelevance. This
underlines both the importance and challenge
of maintaining world-leading industrial skills
and delivering and updating with pace to
field systems which remain relevant in rapidly
evolving environments.

A Russian SU-27 Flanker with RAF Typhoon escort

12 Combat Air Strategy

A Successful and World-Class
Industrial Base UK Combat Air Sector:
8. The UK has a truly world-class Combat Air
Key Facts
sector, developed over the last 100 years
and most recently through the collaborative Considered an economically
programmes to deliver Tornado, Typhoon strategic sector
and F-35. This experience and our related
research and development investment means Provides highly skilled jobs,
the UK is well positioned to deliver next promotes technology spill-overs
generation capability together with partners and fosters regional development
and allies.
Annual turnover: ~£6.5Bn
9. The UK has enjoyed significant success
exporting Combat Air sector capabilities
Annual R&D investment: ~£230M
including platforms, sub-systems, training
and support solutions. Over the last decade,
Directly supports: ~18,000 jobs
Defence aerospace, including Tornado,
Typhoon, Hawk and F-35 global support, has
Creates ~28,000 jobs in the supply
accounted for over 80% of the UK’s annual
chain across ~2,000 companies
defence export orders of around £6Bn. The
export of Typhoon has been particularly
important in UK Complex Weapons exports, 2016 data (RAND PR-3704-MOD, May 2018)
reducing the cost to the Ministry of Defence
of key weapons capabilities.

Ex FLYING SABRE (Croatia)

Ex FLYING SWORD (Hungary)
Ex FLYING RHINO (Czech Rep)
Ex ARCTIC CHALLENGE (Norway)
Middle East
NATO Air Policing Op SHADER
(Estonia, Latvia, Op LUMINOUS
Lithuania, Romania) Op TELIC

Air Defence
(Great Britain)
Op HERRICK
(Afghanistan)
Ex BERSAMA
LIMA (Malaysia)
Op ELLAMY Ex EASTERN
(Libya) VORTEX
(Malaysia, South
Korea, Japan)
USA Op TURUS
Ex RED FLAG (Nigeria)
Ex GREEN FLAG
Ex ATLANTIC TRIDENT Ex INDRADHANUSH
(India)

Key
OPERATIONS
Ex MAGIC CARPET (Oman)
EXERCISES Advanced Tactical Leadership Course (UAE)
Air Defence Ex SHAHEEN STAR (UAE)
(Falkland Islands)

Recent Royal Air Force Combat Air Exercises and Operational Deployments

Combat Air Strategy 13

 F-35
The UK is the only
Tier 1 partner on the
F-35 programme.
The experience and
Intellectual Property from
programmes including
Harrier, Tornado and
Typhoon meant that the
UK could bring world-
leading technology to this
US-led programme. As
a result, UK companies
deliver around 15%
of every aircraft in
the biggest defence
programme in history.
This supports a supply
chain in the UK of over
500 companies.

A UK F-35B Lightning II

10. UK Intellectual Property was critical in The Industrial Challenge

securing the UK’s enhanced industrial position
in the F-35 programme. Our early involvement 11. The decision in the 2015 Strategic Defence
during the design and development phases and Security Review to upgrade and extend
ensured better delivery against US and UK Typhoon in service will allow us to get
requirements, and has allowed the UK to the most from this highly capable multi-
compete successfully for key elements of the role platform. The programme of planned
F-35 Global Support Solution. enhancements to Typhoon, especially in
sensors and weapons, will ensure it remains
highly operationally effective and commercially
competitive for decades to come.

12. This decision will, however, extend the gap

between major air system design phases.
Recent Typhoon and F-35-related work
and success in Typhoon exports provides
significant revenue for the UK and will
sustain Typhoon manufacturing into the
2020s. Without a clear indication of future
UK requirements this is not enough to
stimulate the research and development
investment necessary to refresh national
Intellectual Property, placing key engineering
BAE Systems workers assembling the rear fuselage for skills at greater risk.
the F-35 Lightning II, at their state of the art advanced
manufacturing and assembly facilities in Lancashire, UK.

14 Combat Air Strategy

13. The 2015 Strategic Defence and Security selling to and partnering with nations to
Review also initiated the Future Combat enable them to deliver their military, strategic
Air System Technology Initiative to bridge and economic objectives. Most recently
this gap. This enables over £2Bn of joint UK industry has diversified further, building
Government and industry investment in on our national investment and world-class
sustaining and enhancing key skills and status to provide technical consultancy to
capacity into the 2020s. By continuing to key partner nations, helping them achieve
implement this policy, including the critical their own capability and industrial objectives.
next phase of the National Programme, we International partnering presents a strategic
will provide investment in key UK design opportunity to better deliver UK objectives
engineering skills and a means to generate and those of allies and partners.
UK Intellectual Property. This will help to
maintain long-term choice for future UK 15. Fourth generation combat aircraft, which
Combat Air system acquisition and ensure include Typhoon, Rafale, F-16, F-18 and
a major role for UK industry in delivering the Gripen, will start to be retired from service in
systems that succeed Typhoon. the late 2030s. Typhoon platform and system
upgrades will ensure it remains operationally
competitive well beyond this point, but there
The Opportunity
will be a significant market for a successor to
14. The UK has a unique heritage of global these capabilities over the period 2040-2060.
cooperation. We are working with the The UK’s experience in developing Tornado
United States to deliver the world-class and Typhoon, on the F-35 programme and
F-35, we continue to enjoy highly successful integrating 4th and 5th generation systems
partnerships across Europe, and we continue means we are ideally placed to work with a
to build on relationships with international wide range of partners to achieve first mover
partners and allies. The UK has had advantage within this market.
significant success in the export market,

Royal Air Force Typhoon and Indian Sukhoi Su-30s in formation

Combat Air Strategy 15

Chapter 2
Industrial Landscape
 The trend of successive Combat Air systems costing more and taking longer to
develop must be addressed urgently.
 UK-generated Intellectual Property, people, skills and facilities in the Combat Air
sector are critical to sustaining UK operational advantage and freedom of action.
 Successful implementation of this Strategy depends on a change in behaviour within
both industry and government.
 To meet our future requirements the UK needs a forward-thinking and innovative
industrial base which invests in its own future.
 Industry’s approach should include the whole supply chain, fully integrate through-life
support issues and engage effectively with wider civil and technology sectors.

Industrial Heritage
Dual-mode Brimstone: a rapid
16. The UK industrial sector has successfully
response to an urgent need
underpinned our operational advantage
and freedom of action in the Combat Air In 2007 the Royal Air Force identified the
sector for the last 100 years. It is also key to need for a low collateral damage precision
enabling UK capability assurance. This has strike capability for Iraq and Afghanistan.
been achieved through the indigenous ability An innovative Ministry of Defence-industry
to design, develop, upgrade, certify and partnership delivered in just 18 months.
support our Combat Air systems. A capable MBDA developed a new, dual-mode
industrial base allows us to develop solutions seeker by converting existing single-
to meet our requirements, be they military, mode, ‘fire-and-forget’ Brimstone missiles,
political, or financial. It also enables greater significantly reducing the timescale
national control over the cost and risk of to deliver the required capability. The
delivering capability. resulting weapon, continuously updated,
remains the bedrock of the Royal Air
Delivering Future Capability Force’s precision strike capability.

17. Successive Combat Air systems have cost

more and taken longer to develop than
their predecessors. This is not the case
in other technologically-driven sectors,
such as automotive, and this trend needs
to be addressed urgently in Combat Air.
Technological and process developments
from wider industry offer the opportunity
to change this paradigm. Some of these
approaches have already been implemented
successfully to drive down the significant
support costs for our Combat Air systems.

16 Combat Air Strategy

 TyTAN: the Typhoon Total
Availability Enterprise
TyTAN is an innovative commercial
agreement which will reduce Typhoon
support costs by over 30% over 10 years.
It aligns the long-term strategic needs and
aspirations of the Ministry of Defence and
industrial partners. The 10-year duration
provides security for industry to invest
in transformative change. The benefits
of cost reduction are shared and then
reinvested into the programme.  TyTAN will
recycle over £500M support savings to
increase Typhoon capability.

18. To deliver affordable next generation 20. Combat Air will be increasingly defined by
capability, the UK’s Combat Air industry winning the information battle: collecting,
will need to deliver ever increasing levels processing, sharing, exploiting and
of productivity, efficiency and sustainability protecting data. The wider UK industrial
throughout the supply chain. This will base has world-class expertise in this area,
require greater innovation and diversification, and access to wider global innovation.
particularly at the prime contractor level This must be fully integrated into industrial
to reduce reliance on platform-driven solutions and the Combat Air industry needs
acquisitions, as capability becomes more to respond imaginatively and inclusively to
dependent on a system of systems approach. this opportunity.

19. The Combat Air sector requires a particularly

wide range of core skills. Some are specific PYRAMID: a UK-developed Open
to the sector and require bespoke investment System Architecture
by national champions, including in systems
integration, propulsion, sensors and Mission systems software is becoming ever
weapons. However, others are common to more complex and is a major driver of cost.
a range of wider industry, high technology, The pace of technological changes means
manufacturing and aerospace sectors. the software must be easily adapted to
To remain affordable and sustainable the respond to evolving threats and capability
needs.  A reusable and open core mission
Combat Air sector needs to evolve fast to
system architecture and a suite of reusable,
engage with and leverage the best of wider
functional software components are
industry. The Department for Business,
being developed by the UK for current
Energy and Industrial Strategy and the
and future systems.  This approach will
Ministry of Defence will work together to
enable systematic re-use, reducing costs
develop the means to incentivise greater of software development and support and
involvement of the wider UK skills base. time to implement capability enhancements
while enabling greater interoperability
across systems.  This approach will also
allow partners or export customers to
integrate their own mission system fits
quickly and easily.

Combat Air Strategy 17

21. The UK has a long history of success in
international partnering and exporting Advanced Manufacturing
defence capabilities. Key to the health Research Centre
of the Combat Air related industrial base
The Advanced Manufacturing Research
is continued success in the international
Centre was established as a partnership
market. To achieve this, future systems must
between the University of Sheffield and
be designed with international partners and
Boeing over 15 years ago. It is a magnet
the global market at the forefront. Taking
to cutting-edge companies attracted
an open system architecture approach will
by the world-leading R&D output. Now
allow partners’ needs to be met by rapidly
over 100 industry partners work through
and cost-effectively integrating a range of
the AMRC and it is a core part of the
capabilities on a common framework.
Government-supported High Value
Investment in UK Capabilities Manufacturing Catapult. It has created a
world-leading facility in an area with high
22. UK-generated Intellectual Property, people, unemployment.
skills and facilities are critical to sustaining
operational advantage and freedom of action,
securing our national prosperity and the UK’s
position as a defence exporter. They are also
key to enabling choice in future acquisition
and international partnering. Industry
investment in UK Intellectual Property should
be aligned to those technologies that can be
exploited to secure operational advantage
and freedom of action or export opportunities.

23. To enable this, the UK Government will

provide greater clarity on future national
Combat Air capability requirements.
The Ministry of Defence will work with
industry, including small and medium-
sized enterprises and industry bodies,
to define and prioritise investment in the
technologies that are critical to sustain our
operational advantage and freedom of action
requirements. This Strategy confirms our
long-term national intent, enabling industry to
respond and invest accordingly.

Challenge to Industry
24. To meet our future requirements, UK
companies need to be able to work together
to deliver affordable next generation
technology that meets our national objectives.
To become sustainable, UK industry must
focus on delivering success in an increasingly
competitive global market, invest to secure
its world-leading position in this field and
continue to partner internationally.
Laser production at Leonardo, Edinburgh, UK

18 Combat Air Strategy

25. The Government looks to industry to f. develop a transparent methodology that links
embrace this challenge and: requirements to cost, risk and time to deliver.
This will enable Government, the supply
a. increase its self-funded investment in chain, potential partners and respective
research and development, including industries to make informed decisions.
technology demonstrations, to de-risk
key technologies prior to full acquisition 26. Changing behaviours in industry and
programmes and embrace the opportunity Government is vital to achieving these
to fail fast and learn from the experience; objectives. These include new, collaborative
ways of working which will align incentives,
b. address urgently the trend of ever more
minimise transactional costs and ensure all
expensive and complex Combat Air
sides are held to account for performance.
systems and the associated time to
The delivery of the Future Combat Air System
bring into service by developing and
Technology Initiative is being managed
exploiting new technologies, techniques
through a pilot project called ‘Team Tempest’.
and processes (such as synthetic design,
This innovative Government-Industry
model-based engineering and rapid
partnership is being used as a catalyst and
prototyping);
test bed for these changes.
c. build on UK expertise derived from
Typhoon and F-35 support solutions to 27. The performance of Team Tempest and
develop innovative plans for driving down wider industry is key to demonstrating that
the through-life costs of programmes; Government and industry can achieve the
necessary capability and behavioural change.
d. foster a culture of continuous Our assessment of this performance will be
improvement and efficiency to ensure the fundamental to programme decisions in 2020.
costs of development and manufacturing Success will prove that the UK is in a strong
reduce over the course of the future position to lead in delivering affordable next
acquisition programme; generation capability. Alternative options and
greater flexibility in our national requirements
e. deliver assured capability by leveraging
will have to be considered if performance does
the best processes and technologies,
not meet expectations.
wherever they are found in the global
supply chain, within the constraints of
operational advantage and freedom of
action. This includes exploitation of
UK high-value manufacturing catapults,
small and medium-sized enterprises,
international partners’ capabilities and
civil sector investment to maximise value
for money; and

Team Tempest:
Team Tempest is part of the Future Combat Air System Technology Initiative programme
announced in the 2015 Strategic Defence and Security Review. It comprises Ministry of
Defence personnel from the Royal Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office, the Defence Science and
Technology Laboratory, Defence Equipment & Support and industry partners (BAE Systems,
Leonardo, MBDA and Rolls-Royce) who are delivering elements of the programme. Innovation
sits at the heart of Team Tempest, building on our strong UK heritage of world-class in-service
capabilities, and advanced technology development programmes.

Combat Air Strategy 19

 BriteCloud
BriteCloud integrates a
sophisticated electronic radar
jamming system into a package
just a few inches long, to fit into
an aircraft’s standard chaff and
flare dispenser. This off-board
capability can be integrated
into wider systems, increasing
platform survivability. Leonardo
began the development activities
for the expendable active decoy
in 2012, working in collaboration
with the UK’s Defence Science
and Technology Laboratory. A
joint project with the Royal Air
Force’s Rapid Capabilities Office
saw BriteCloud on board Tornado
GR4 aircraft in March 2018, less
than 12 months after joint work
commenced.

Technology Spillover:
London Underground
As Combat Air systems become
more reliant on software, system
integrity has had to increase.
BAE Systems has exploited
the software developed on
Typhoon, Tornado, C-130J and
Merlin in other sectors where
software integrity is critical. This
technology currently provides
a Rail Timetabling System
for the London Underground,
scheduling 1.7M journeys a year
on the world’s most complex
underground system. This
mission critical software ensures
rolling stock and staff are where
they need to be to the second to
increase capacity on the network.

20 Combat Air Strategy

Chapter 3
International by Design
 Effective international partnering offers the UK the best opportunity to deliver
affordable military capability and our wider national objectives, while maintaining
operational advantage and freedom of action.
 The UK is in a strong international position thanks to our historic investment in the
air domain, we have a world-class industrial base and highly successful framework of
international partnerships.
 The UK will work collaboratively to define the best partnering construct to develop the
next generation capability.
 International partnering in this sector extends beyond capability acquisition and is
critical to our operational effectiveness and our ability to build interoperability with our
primary operational partners.

28. The UK Government has always embraced

international collaboration in this sector and
will continue to do so. Our international
engagement reflects our global approach: an
unwavering commitment to European security,
a leading contributor to NATO, a Permanent
Member of the United Nations Security
Council, strong intelligence relationships and
a track record of successful international
partnering. The UK is in an enviable position
in the Combat Air sector thanks to historic
investments, the Royal Air Force’s reputation
and track record in the air domain, and a
world-class industrial base.

29. Effective international partnering and LiftSystem

collaboration in the Combat Air sector
offers the UK the best opportunity to deliver Decades of research and development
our military capability requirements while on Short Take-Off and Vertical Landing
managing cost and maximising wider national (STOVL) aircraft propulsion systems, from
policy and prosperity outcomes. Value for the ‘flying bedstead’ to the Pegasus engine
money in acquisition is heavily dependent on Harrier, helped secure the UK’s status
on programme volume to offset upfront as a Tier 1 partner in the F-35 programme. 
investment in research and development. Our Rolls-Royce exploited this Government
approach to partnering will seek to achieve this, and industry investment in Intellectual
including through exports. The UK approach Property to develop the LiftSystem for the
to future partnerships will seek to leverage the F-35B Lightning II, the world’s first STOVL-
technological and industrial strengths of our capable supersonic aircraft.
partners to further drive down costs.

Combat Air Strategy 21

 Meteor: successful
multinational collaboration
Meteor is a beyond-visual range
air-to-air missile. It was developed
through a highly successful,
six-nation programme which is
currently delivering game-changing
air-to-air combat capability. A
robust governance model was
adopted at the outset.  A UK-led
Joint Project Office is empowered
to drive the programme to cost
and time, with a single contracting
authority and single industrial
leadership.  Workshare is allocated
with strict commercial targets and
a single production line avoids
duplication and inefficiency.

30. Our experience shows that the international 31. Combat Air capabilities are a symbol of
market is increasingly based on Government- national ambition and intent, and there are
to-Government partnerships rather than many countries seeking to develop their own
industry-led sales. Partners are seeking onshore manufacturing capabilities. The
to develop their own national capabilities UK is keen to support indigenous capability
and industrial base. They will rightly expect development and encourage technological
returns on their investment; from influence advancement of partners and allies. This is a
in requirements setting to achieving critical component of the UK’s contribution to
technological, industrial and economic goals. global security.

Typhoon aircraft taking part in Exercise Bersama Lima 16

22 Combat Air Strategy

32. Interoperability is fundamental to the success d. complete a series of rapid feasibility
of alliance and coalition operations. Future studies within 12 months with a wide
partnerships should therefore maximise range of potential partners across the
interoperability, especially with the United globe. These can be done bilaterally or
States, wider NATO, European and an multilaterally, building on the preferences
increasing range of global allies and partners. of allies and existing structures (e.g.
the NATO Eurofighter and Tornado
33. To deliver future capabilities the UK will need Management Agency), to understand
to rapidly secure international partnerships for the potential for collaboration and the
development and delivery. To do this we will: implications for our national choices and
operational advantage; and
a. ensure partnerships are based on shared
and realistic defence requirements, rather e. seek partners who share similar and
than political opportunism and industrial complementary objectives.
protectionism;
34. There are of course risks; if badly conceived,
b. share capability requirements, concepts collaboration can increase programme
and national technologies with key overheads, cause delay, increase cost and
partners and allies to explore the feasibility deliver sub-optimal capabilities. We will
of joint programmes; be transparent with partners to ensure the
c. ensure the partnering framework greatest degree of mutual understanding
provides clear leadership, builds on the and compatibility.
strengths of contributing nations and
has as its primary purpose the need to
deliver capability quickly with minimal
bureaucracy and process;

Typhoon production line

Combat Air Strategy 23

Chapter 4
National Value in Combat Air
 The UK’s future approach to Combat Air will be based on an HM Treasury Green
Book compliant national value framework which enables genuine national choice and
balances the values delivered by the sector.
 These values take account of the UK’s National Security Objectives, the 2017 UK
Industrial Strategy and wider economic prosperity.
 The approach will be at the heart of all major Combat Air investment and acquisition
decisions. It is adaptable to the political, operational and international context,
including our partners’ requirements.
 These values are not binary choices and a successful outcome will require trade-offs
to maximise the overall benefit to the UK.

35. The Ministry of Defence needs to consider

The UK Combat Air Sector: cost, capability and programme goals in
Combat Air alongside strategic national long-
provides highly effective military term objectives and outcomes. Failing to
capability and deterrence, thereby adopt this broad, balanced approach could
maintaining the security of UK airspace result in programmes which prioritise sovereign
and our ability to create air superiority, capability requirements at the expense of
enabling UK forces to support our prosperity and exports; or international
global objectives; partnering at the expense of pace and cost.

36. For the Combat Air sector, an approach is

sustains high quality engineering and
therefore required that defines and balances
manufacturing jobs in clusters around
the broader values the UK wishes to deliver
the UK, both in the defence aerospace
from the outset. This methodology will
sector and adjacent sectors;
enable values to be traded where necessary
to inform national decision-making and
delivers advanced technology and
negotiations with international partners.
skills in the industrial base that have
wider application and benefit in other 37. The National Value Framework supports the
sectors; and 2015 National Security Objectives (NSOs)
and the objectives of the Government’s
underpins our international influence Industrial Strategy. They are defined under
and relationships with allies and the headings of: military capability (operational
partners generated by our global advantage and freedom of action), prosperity
standing in the sector, the capabilities of and industrial capability, and international
the Royal Air Force and the UK industry influence. This framework is designed to
that supports it. be adaptable to the political, economic,
operational and international context in which
decisions are made.

24 Combat Air Strategy

38. The framework allows the Ministry of to the methodology of the HM Treasury
Defence to compare the relative benefits of Green Book for objective evidence-based
a range of options from procuring ‘off-the- decision-making. The Ministry of Defence
shelf’ to partnering with allies. When placed will work in partnership across Government
alongside detailed cost analysis it will enable to define the precise policy and strategy
us to determine relative value for money of value inputs that will apply to future Combat
the options and consider trade-offs. Air programmes, including preparing
detailed acquisition guidance in line with the
39. This evolving approach to appraisal will HM Treasury Green book.
support delivery of strategic objectives and
will be developed so that it is compliant
with key Government policies and conforms

Military Capability Prosperity and Industrial

Capability

Threat

Long term sustainment

Requirement

Export potential

Operational advantage

Sovereign capabilities

Available technology
and dependencies

In-service date

Budget International Influence


Available funding 
Level of ambition

Wider pressures 
UK positioning

Other funding sources 
Freedom of action

Income generation 
Government policy

Exports strategy

National Value Framework

Combat Air Strategy 25

 A FRAMEWORK FOR NATIONAL VALUE IN COMBAT AIR

Military Capability Prosperity and Industrial International Influence

Capability
This value will measure the This value will assess the This value will measure the
UK’s assured ability to: degree to which the UK can: degree to which the UK can:
 Develop, acquire, certify,  Sustaininvestment in  Leveragewider UK
operate and sustain the highly skilled, high value economic, international
current and future Combat jobs throughout the and trade relationships in
Air capabilities necessary to Combat Air supply chain, support of Global Britain.
meet UK national Defence including in the related
 Secure effective and
policy objectives. wider defence and civil
sectors, promoting efficient partnerships
 Achieve and maintain a based on compatible
prosperity.
military edge over our national interests.
adversaries.  Contribute to the UK’s
 Maintainchoice for the
underpinning Science,
 Operate our Combat Air UK in our future acquisition
Technology, Engineering
capability in conjunction and Mathematics (STEM) and partnering options.
with allies and partners skills base. Enabling the UK to maintain
to support operational a balanced portfolio and
effectiveness and  Support the development to develop innovative and
burden-sharing. of high-end technologies, sustainable long-term
tools, processes and global partnerships that
 Respond with agility to infrastructure with recognise widespread
exploit opportunities and application and benefit to aspirations to develop
address threats in the future adjacent sectors and the indigenous capability.
technological, operational civil market.
and strategic environments.  Protect
UK operational,
 Driveaffordability through technological and
 Maintain our ability international partnering, economic advantage.
to deploy Combat Air particularly to avoid
capabilities at the time unnecessary duplication,  Maintain assured access
and place of our choosing, gain access to international to global supply chains
including alongside allies expertise, share non- and technology to support
and partners in the majority recurring expenditure and cost-effective capability
of circumstances. drive economies of scale. development and
acquisition.
 Maintain choice in
our current and future  Secure wider strategic
Combat Air capability influence based on the
and acquisition, ensuring unique nature of Combat Air
intelligent customer status capabilities and their impact
in both national and on operational effectiveness
collaborative programmes. and national credibility.

26 Combat Air Strategy

Combat Air Strategy 27
Chapter 5
A New Approach
to Capability Delivery

40. In addition to the National Value Framework,

the objectives defined in previous chapters NIACE
demand a new approach to acquisition,
The Northern Ireland Advanced Composites
commercial relationships and ways of
and Engineering facility demonstrates the
working across industry, government
benefits of Government, Academia and
and partners. This change is driven by
Industry working together. A partnership
the need to deliver capability quickly and
between Bombardier, Ulster University,
cost-effectively. It requires commercial
Queen’s University Belfast, Invest Northern
approaches that incentivise Government and
Ireland and the Department for Business,
industry to drive down cost, increase pace
Energy and Industrial Strategy has brought
and performance and embrace innovation.
together engineering companies and
knowledge providers to work on cutting edge
Research and Development. The facility is
open to use by any partner. Equipment on
the site is available for all to use on a zero-
profit basis. The output is utilised to support
the rapidly-growing industrial base in Belfast
and across the region.

Principles for effective acquisition

and delivery
41. Effective and affordable Combat Air acquisition
requires the Ministry of Defence to:

a. implement a governance and programme

management approach that provides strong
strategic leadership and delivers rapid
decision-making to drive pace in delivery;

b. take an enterprise approach across

Government and industry, based on greater
transparency, aligned and simplified
outcomes and a drive to continually improve
productivity and cost-effectiveness. This
approach will deliver strong and enduring
BAE Systems simulator commercial incentives that recognise the
importance of sharing cost, benefit and risk;

28 Combat Air Strategy

 c. provide long-term commitment and
financial stability to incentivise public A Novel Approach to Defence
and private investment in people and Procurement: the Complex
infrastructure; Weapons Portfolio
d. drive competition throughout the supply Management Agreement
chain to improve performance and The Portfolio Management Agreement
efficiency; between the Ministry of Defence and
e. recognise the importance of through-life MBDA secured UK freedom of action and
costs and factor these into programme operational advantage in the complex
design; weapons sector, met the operational needs
of all three armed services and saved an
f. build on successful support solutions independently verified £1.2Bn from the
delivered by the UK Combat Air equipment programme in its first seven
enterprise, taking advantage of the years. This has been achieved through a
latest commercial and technological centrally managed portfolio of weapons
developments in aerospace and beyond and its success depends on a long-term
to minimise through-life cost; and transparent relationship between
customer and supplier.
g. take an evolutionary approach, retaining
the best in-service technologies and
sub-systems on future systems, and
incrementally developing them through-
i. recruit people with the behaviours and
life. This approach will reduce programme
mind-set to take responsibility and
risk, improve industrial sustainability and
collaborate across industry, Government,
reduce time and cost allowing for
and our international partners.
greater agility by addressing whole
system upgrades in stages;
These principles will be applied to all future
h. develop bespoke mechanisms to
Combat Air acquisition activities, ranging from
incentivise export success and the
support solutions to the procurement of major new
recycling of revenue and commercial
capabilities, recognising that the circumstances
benefits to fund and de-risk future
and context of each activity will be different.
capability development; and

Academy of Skills and Knowledge

This education centre was created by BAE Systems with an investment of £15M. The academy
trains up to 200 apprentices a year in critical skills. The facilities in the Academy are available
to schools and universities. In its first year over 1000 local schoolchildren visited the Academy
experiencing a Virtual Reality cave, a 3-D printing facility and a full-sized Hawk aircraft. The
Academy, located on an Enterprise Zone near the Samlesbury manufacturing facility is acting as
a hub to bring in new businesses with requirements for STEM graduates.

Combat Air Strategy 29

Chapter 6
Next Steps
To deliver this Strategy the Ministry of Defence will work with wider
Government, industry and international partners in taking the steps
laid out in this chapter.

42. The Ministry of Defence will continue to c. further refine operational requirements
invest in upgrading Typhoon capability, by the end of 2019 to inform capability
particularly in sensors and weapons systems choices and partnering discussions;
to maintain the system’s combat effectiveness
and competitiveness. The best of these 45. Completing this programme of work over
technologies will be carried forward on to next the course of 2018 and 2019 will enable the
generation systems. Ministry of Defence to:

43. Under the Future Combat Air System a. confirm early decisions for capability
Technology Initiative, the Ministry of Defence acquisition by the end of 2020 (covering
will initiate technology demonstrations co- the class of capability, partnering
funded with industry to de-risk next generation approach, cost and delivery schedule); and
technologies and ensure the UK has capability b. confirm final investment decisions by 2025
across Government and industry. to ensure delivery of an Initial Operating
Capability by 2035.
44. To define and deliver the future capabilities
required when early models of Typhoon leave 46. The Ministry of Defence will establish an
Royal Air Force service in the late 2030s, the acquisition team in its Head Office to
Ministry of Defence will immediately initiate provide departmental leadership, drive
the UK’s Combat Air capability acquisition delivery of the Strategy, lead international
programme. Working across Government and engagement and the capability acquisition
with industry and international partners, the programme.
Ministry of Defence will:
47. Working with the Department for Business,
a. deliver a strategic outline business case,
Energy and Industrial Strategy and industry
including high level military requirements,
partners, the Ministry of Defence will drive
by the end of 2018;
transformation in the industrial enterprise.
b. accelerate and deepen engagement with This will build on the work done in the Future
international partners to create the best Combat Air System Technology Initiative,
opportunities to deliver next generation and incentivise the involvement of the wider
Combat Air capability. An initial assessment UK skills base.
of international collaboration options will be
delivered by the summer of 2019;

30 Combat Air Strategy

48. To exploit the significant future global demand 53. The Ministry of Defence, the Department
for systems to replace current 4th generation for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
platforms, the UK will work with partners to and HM Treasury will jointly assess the
generate first-mover advantage. economic impact of our choices. This will
include the benefits of Combat Air activity
49. The Ministry of Defence will work with for the economy including research and
the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, development, training and skills, and the
Department for International Trade and benefits to wider industry. This will be used
the overseas network to create the to inform the assessment of options.
best opportunities for international
cooperation. This will include industrial, 54. The Ministry of Defence will continue to
economic, military and academic develop the National Value Framework,
opportunities that deliver mutual benefits to compliant with the HM Treasury Green Book,
international partners. which will be used to inform decisions on
future acquisition programmes and next
50. The Ministry of Defence will define areas tranches of F-35.
that are critical to operational advantage
and freedom of action to inform long-term 55. The Ministry of Defence will take a strategic
industry and academic investment as well approach to wider international and industrial
as international workshare and partnering partnerships and opportunities which
discussions. contribute to maintaining and developing skills
and capacity in industry. Specifically, UK
51. The Ministry of Defence and the Department Government and industry will take a national
for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy campaign approach to winning work on the
will launch a Combat Air Skills Index F-35 Maintenance, Repair, Overhaul and
to monitor the health of industrial and Upgrade Phase 2 competition.
government skills, capability and capacity
critical to the delivery of our national 56. The Secretary of State for Defence will
objectives. This will be developed with input report annually to Parliament on progress
from industry partners and used to assess the in implementing the Strategy.
success of interventions such as the Future
Combat Air System Technology Initiative.

52. The Ministry of Defence, industry and

appropriate other government departments
will implement a governance construct
for delivering this Strategy and future
acquisition programmes. This will provide
strong strategic leadership and deliver rapid
and delegated decision-making to drive
pace in delivery.

Combat Air Strategy 31

Disclaimers

The figures in this report are primarily based on

RAND-Europe analysis using industry survey
data provided for the purposes of this study
and ONS data, augmented by information from
literature review and interviews with government
stakeholders. While the underlying industry
data only covers ten companies with a major
presence in the UK Combat Air sector, the study
team believes that it captures the majority of the
UK combat air industrial base and thus provides
a useful benchmark for analysis of the sector’s
contribution to prosperity.

32 Combat Air Strategy

Acknowledgements

We have sought to develop the Strategy through Finance: Agency Partners; Investec; UBS.
open and honest discussion of views and
perspectives. We are grateful for the transparent Industry: Airbus; Atkins; BAE Systems; Boeing;
approach and valuable contributions from a Bombardier; Chemring; Cobham; GKN;
significant number of individuals across Defence, Leonardo; Lockheed Martin (UK); Marshall
UK Government, international partners as well Aerospace and Defence Group; MBDA; Mott
as across industry and the private sector. In MacDonald; Northrop Grumman (UK); Pratt and
particular, the Ministry of Defence is grateful for Whitney; QinetiQ; Rockwell Collins; Rolls-Royce;
support and input from: Saab (UK); Thales (UK) and others who provided
valuable content.
Academia: Dr Michael Pryce of Cranfield
University; the Strategy and Security Institute Image on front cover courtesy of Jamie Hunter
at the University of Exeter; Douglas Barrie of
the International Institute for Strategic Studies Images on pages 14, 18, 23, 28, 34 courtesy of
(IISS); James Black, Dr Alex Hall and Lucia BAE Systems
Retter of RAND Europe; Professor John Louth
Images on pages 18, 20 courtesy of Leonardo
and Professor Trevor Taylor of the Royal United
Services Institute (RUSI). Image on page 22 courtesy of MBDA
Cross-industry groups: the Aerospace, Image on page 21 courtesy of Rolls-Royce
Defence, Security and Space Group (ADS); the
Confederation of Shipbuilding and Engineering Image on page 20 courtesy of TfL
Unions (CSEU); the Defence Growth Partnership
(DGP); the Defence Solutions Centre (DSC), All other images are Ministry of Defence
supported by Renaissance Strategic Advisors; Crown copyright
the Whitehall Industry Group (WIG).

Combat Air Strategy 33

 A vision for the future of UK Combat Air

34 Combat Air Strategy