The UK’s future combat air capability is essential for our national security and the long-term health of the UK defence industry.

Since the launch of Team Tempest at Farnborough Airshow in 2018, we have been working with the industry partners and the RAF to help them reach out to the wider industry in the UK on how they can get involved in parts of the project.

Last year we hosted an industry day in Farnborough and given the continuation of work on the project, the opportunity to reach out and engage with the wider industry again was seen as an important step.

As part of this, yesterday the RAF Rapid Capabilities Office and core Team Tempest Industry Partners (BAE Systems, Rolls Royce, Leonardo and MBDA) hosted a virtual briefing session coordinated by ADS to provide a detailed understanding of the work ongoing across the Tempest endeavour and the wider UK Combat Air Sector.

In a press release about the event, it said:

Delegates heard from Air Chief Marshal Sir Michael Wigston and other RAF senior leaders who highlighted how Team Tempest is taking a revolutionary approach to partnership, engaging with a wide range of leading companies, SMEs and academia to bring leading innovators into the endeavour and ensure the UK remains at the leading edge of Combat Air systems development. The RAF Capability leadership team highlighted updates in emerging strategy and identified examples of innovation and future opportunities.

Key members from the Team Tempest industry partner community also provided attendees with updates on the programme and explained how Tempest is working in radical ways to develop world-leading capability, with a focus on affordability and efficiency.

A key theme from the briefing was the vital importance of information advantage, this will be a central part of the UK’s future combat air system.

This briefing kicked off a series of briefings by the RAF and Team Tempest as they look to reach industry in every part of the UK.

Further information will be available in due course but if you wish to get in touch with us in the meantime, please send us an email.