THE TEMPEST!



The UK Ministry of Defence made a major announcement at the Farnborough Air Show today.  It unveiled plans for a new fighter to replace the Eurofighter Typhoon.


First of all, let us start with the name:  TEMPEST.  It is very cool.  The name implies lineage with the current Typhoon and harkens back to the Hawker Tempest fighter-bomber of WWII.  Not only that, but the name "Tempest" is darn-right Shakespearean.

The design itself seems rather plain in comparison.

BAE Replica
At first glance, it resembles the BAE Systems Replica design study.  A stealthy twin-engined, twin-tailed delta that also happens to look eerily similar to Boeing's X-32.  There even seems to be a slight resemblance to the Handley-Page Victor bomber.

While the Tempest is being billed as a sixth generation fighter, its appearance is distinctly fifth generation.  Then again, nobody really knows what "6th gen" aircraft are going to look like...  Despite some futuristic looking concepts.  The Tempest's design is far from being "locked in" however.  Expect it to change.


There are some interesting features listed on the infographic.

Some are rather vague; like "Advanced Power and Propulsion System" and "Advanced Digital Processes & Tools".

Others point to stuff that already exists.  The "Automated Support Options" and "Virtual Cockpit" seem similar to the JSF's ALIS and HMD, respectively.  These would likely be more advanced than those on the F-35, much like how the F-35's HMD improves on the current Typhoon's.

Much more interesting is the Flexible Payload Configuration with Physical Architecture "Designed for growth".  The infographic teases what looks like conformal fuel tanks along with two dorsal "pods" that seem similar to the Enclosed Weapon Pods found on Boeing's Advanced Super Hornet.  Could this mean the development of a modular conformal weapon storage?

Not enough?

How about the Tempest's pièce de résistance...  A FRIKKIN' LASER BEAM?

Right now, the Tempest is in its earliest stages of development.  BAE, MDMA, Leonardo, and Rolls-Royce One are current partners.  Do not be surprised if other aerospace firms (like Saab) join "Team Tempest" in the future.  

 Current plans for the Tempest see it entering service around 2035.  Given the typical delays in fighter development, it could be very well into the 2040s.  Needless to say, the Tempest is not an option to replace the CF-18...  But it could be the replacement for the replacement.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

THE REAL REASON THE GRIPEN LOST...

Image
  For those of you wondering how Saab lost the FFCP competition, new information has come to light... According inside sources, the initial scoring of the two fighters was incredibly close.  The F-35 did indeed win the "Capability" category (worth up to 60%) while the Gripen E ended up being ahead on both price (worth 20%) and industrial offsets (worth the remaining 20%).   According to my source April Furst, who is currently serving an internship in the House of Commons.  The ultimate decision was made rather hastily while the final scores were being tallied up.   "Due to COVID restrictions and renovations, the FFCP committee were forced to convene in a remote office located in the basement of the Parliament building.  You could tell it wasn't used very often.  Lots of cobwebs, and the whole place smelled musty and moldy.   "The committee members were doing their thing, going down each individual line of the respective offers.  It was actually pretty close, by
Read more

FINAL THOUGHTS

Image
  So…. Now what? The process is still far from over but what is left is mostly mundane and bureaucratic.  Stuff like finalizing costs, delivery dates, etc. Hopefully, Canada can now focus it procurement efforts on  revitalizing the rest of the Canadian Armed Forces.  With fighters and frigates out of the way; it’s high time we look into replacing our submarines, MRTTs, and other.  Recent lessons from the war in Ukraine has also made it clear that UCAVs are the future of warfare.  Canada best catch up. Was all this for nothing?  No.  I do not believe so.  Even though Canada is still choosing the F-35, it is doing so in a much more rational way.  We have taken the time to evaluate our needs.  Taken a clear look at the options.  We have arrived at a decision removed from political whim.  Ultimately, Canada is getting a lot more aircraft than initially planned.  We are also getting later build F-35s.  Now, more of the kinks are out.  These newer aircraft should be both more reliable and mo
Read more

Fighter Jet Fight Club: Gripen NG vs. Super Hornet!

Image
I will be honest...  I have been dreading this installment of Fighter Jet Fight Club.  I tend to root for the underdog in any competition, but what happens when underdogs have to compete against each other?  Both of these aircraft have a 0-2 record for FJFC, yet both are clearly crowd favorites in the comment section. Our contestants today are two of the biggest value propositions in the fighter world today.  Both are "modernized" versions of aircraft that have been flying since the 80s.  Neither make promises of being the most dominant force in the skies, but they do promise a "90%" solution at "50%" of the cost.  Most importantly, both aircraft are "tried and true" designs that have provided years of faithful service.  Despite this, they are often overlooked in favor of newer, flashier aircraft like the F-35 Lightning II. Which aircraft will see redemption here today? Just remember the rules . Air-to-Ground: Infiltration/Pe
Read more