BAE Systems Tempest

The Tempest is a sixth-generation fighter aircraft under development in the United Kingdom and Italy for the Royal Air Force and the Italian Air Force, intended to enter service from 2035 and gradually replace the Eurofighter Typhoon. It grew out of strategic concept work that began in 2015 and was introduced at the Farnborough Airshow on 16 July 2018 as part of the UK Combat Air Strategy. A consortium known as Team Tempest leads the work, with BAE Systems as project leader and systems integrator, Rolls-Royce on power and propulsion, Leonardo on sensors and avionics, and MBDA on weapons. The design is modular, with delta wings, a pair of outward-pointing vertical stabilisers, stealth shaping, two deeply buried engines and the ability to fly unmanned or alongside swarming drones. In December 2022 the programme was merged with Japan Mitsubishi F-X effort into the Global Combat Air Programme shared by Italy, Japan and the United Kingdom.