DSEI 2021 – Marshall has signed a contract with BAE Systems to partner on Team Tempest as part of a broader strategic collaboration framework between the two companies that will see Marshall become the first supplier to have delegated design authority on the programme.

Marshall has reached an agreement with BAE Systems to partner on design, manufacture and testing work as part of ongoing technology demonstration projects on Tempest.

Marshall CEO Kathy Jenkins explains:

“Naturally, given its significance to the UK’s future combat air strategy, we are delighted
to have secured a unique role on the ground-breaking Tempest programme. This is a testament to the strength and spirit of our partnership and trust in our capabilities for design and manufacturing which has seen our engineering teams work together over a wide range of projects since we signed a joint strategic collaboration framework last year.

During this period we have been able to repeatedly demonstrate the unique range of expertise Marshall is able to deliver,and we look forward to working with our colleagues at BAE Systems on Tempest and other future programmes where our complementary skills will be of benefit.”

Ian Muldowney, Chief Operating Officer for BAE Systems’ Air Sector, commented:

“Since Team Tempest was launched in 2018, we have continually sought opportunities to bring the very best of UK capability and expertise into the team as we seek to develop the generation-defining combat air system which will help safeguard the security of our nation and our allies towards the end of this century.

We have developed a long and enduring relationship with Marshall who will bring significant experience and expertise to the project. By continuing to widen the partnership, we are increasingly making Tempest a true national endeavour, which will help contribute to the retention, growth and investment in a wider world-class UK skills base and realise significant prosperity benefits for the UK.”

The work will be undertaken in Cambridge with manufacturing activities taking place at Marshall’s dedicated composites facility in North Yorkshire.

George Allison
George Allison
George has a degree in Cyber Security from Glasgow Caledonian University and has a keen interest in naval and cyber security matters and has appeared on national radio and television to discuss current events. George is on Twitter at @geoallison
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29 COMMENTS

    • We need to see an actual prototype out there. Too much waffle about digital models and doing testing virtually etc. Build something and try it flying even if one off. You will learn a lot of how it gets put together I know that is a bit old fashioned approach but having something concrete makes it better sell to public and hopefully less difficult to cancel.

      • ‘Digital twinning’ is how the US has managed to get its 6th generation fighter prototype up and flying in record time compared to previous aircraft programmes.

        • Well the concept is sound I grant you but has anyone actually seen this 6th Gen prototype that Trump originally took the praise for. I may be a little cynical but the most I have heard speculated is that it’s an existing test bed airframe containing some systems, design elements and tech proposed for and complimentary to the design of this new fighter. That’s a bIt one could argue like what’s being planned for the UK test bed being put together now though it might be a fighter airframe being used. However if there are authentic pics of it somewhere or evidence from those who have actually seen it to demonstrate it’s a true prototype of an actual proposed plane that counteracts that perception of mine then I would love to be brought up to date. Mind you outside of that physical reality a lot of this digital twinning tech is supplied by the Swedes so that certainly is a bonus where Tempest is concerned and looks impressive.

      • Not sure concrete would be my building material of choice. 😉

        As has been said, there are new ways to do things and I’m pretty sure the money men will know best on how they do this stuff, I’ll leave it to them.

    • They haven’t lost the C130s, they won a contract to service the US Navy/Marine Corp C-130T aircraft. Another thing is, how are they going to be manufacturing at Cambridge when they sold the lot off to Celtic Air Ventures? If it goes anything like when we had the contract for Nimrod MRA4 don’t expect results any time soon.

    • What has a dubious aircraft cancelled in the middle of the last century got to do with Tempest?

      History is interesting but it has no power unless you choose to give it power. Live in the modern world not the world of the past, something you can do nothing about.

      • The cancellation of TSR2 was an act of treasonous vandalism . At the time more than 30 aircraft were under construction. If the labour government had even kept these to equip 1 wing of RAF it would have cost little. But not only were the airframes destroyed, the construction jigs as well. By political decree. Instead Dennis Healy proposed buying American F111s. I my book corruption. Also the VTOL Supersonic fighter the HS P1154 was cancelled though it led to the P1127 Harrier. Finally the Armstrong Whitworth STOVL freighter was cancelled and the RAF bought Hercs instead. The whole thing stank of corrupt practises.

        • Hi Peter, TSR2 is a vexing issue. An amazing aircraft, a technical marvel, but an aircraft that alas should never have been started.

          By 1962 it was obvious we couldn’t afford such a large and complex aircraft, it was ‘totally’ beyond our ability to pay for and operate in the required numbers.

          We should have concentrated on affordable fighter bombers, we might have been able to sell a son of the Hawker Hunter, or a development of the Lightning.

          It ‘could’ have lead to a sustainable British fighter aircraft industry….

          Not knocking the TSR2, I’m it’s biggest fan, I’ve extensively studied the aircraft, systems and project over the years, an aircraft born in the wrong country unfortunately, hugely expensive and under development while the economy was progressively worsening … It was only ever going to end one way…

        • Meh, hardly “an act of treasonous vandalism”, think it was more ‘rock and a hard place’ financially and Defence is always an easy target for cuts. Its not just Labour though, the Tories have been pretty short sighted when it comes to this stuff too.

        • As a member of a Bristol family hose relatives worked on both the design and manufacture of TSR2 its cancellation was al political
          As was the cancellation of Blue Steel
          The then Labour government were desperate for the USA to support the pound and the US condition was to cancel the UK programes andtobuy the F111.
          BAC as it was then evaluated the F111 and showed it would not meet its stated performancen no purchase.
          Ironically BAC were awarded a contract to service F111 planes from Vietnam and they carried some modification that US pilots on taking them back into service said the planes performance was dramatically improved

      • The USAF doesn’t operate the P8, Wedgetail or Apache or the F-35B for that matter. So basically the handful of Rivet Joints and Globemasters are the only common platforms now that the C-130s and E3 are being sold off and Reapers replaced (arguably the Protector is so similar to the MQ-9 you could call it a common platform, closer than the F-35 A and B anyway).

        Not sure there’s why there’d be any push for a partnership with the US after the F-35 fiasco. Personally I’d not be wanting to partner with Italy for that matter either although Leonardo UK would have to be involved somehow. Saab / Sweden seems a good match though.

      • i saw recently something on youtube which suggested that the usa leaned on Australia not to buy tsr2 to replace the Canberra’s they had and usa pushed the swing wing F1-11’s. the Australia order would have boosted the tsr2 chances.

          • Americans, plus Mountbatten pushing the buccaneer as a cheaper alternative to anyone who would listen…
            The rot was already well in by then after Duncan Sandy’s defence white paper which ludicrously claimed advanced, particularly fighter aircraft were no longer needed. Conservative by the way so all political parties are to blame.
            Exciting time to turn all that round and show what we can do..

          • Sadly your cynicism is well placed even most Tories don’t have the flair for projects of this nature that Boris shows. Geez the guy even had serious temptation for the NI bridge he loves a project be it crazy or in the case of Tempest seriously beneficial.

        • Actually it was Lord Mount batten that tried to persuade Australia to buy Buccaneers being a Navy man. Of course they went on to procure F-111’s

        • Well that is certainly a long held view though delays certainly didn’t help. I suspect the Americans exploited the latter to add pressure to them and by then the Australians knew which side their bread was buttered on and who they needed to defend them. And of course the US put massive pressure on us too and it has been claimed a loan to get us through yet another financial mess was totally reliant upon cancelling it. That said, as wonderful a design as it no doubt was I do wonder considering later experience with Tornado how long it’s low flying concept would have lasted in terms of practicality. It would have ended up being adapted as a high flying weapon (opposite transformation to the Vulcan) and I doubt it would have been well suited to that. What amazes me mind that aircraft looks state of the art even today in terms of its looks, can’t think of another plane of that vintage that would get close including the Tornado.

      • To be fair it would only need to be sometime in the next decade. In a two party system sooner or later the public will always see greener grass.

    • Only the fact that it’s cancellation would pretty much send Bae aerospace interest across the pond keeps me reasonably confident this will continue. That said an eventual push into the French, sorry European effort might happen I fear if not enough foreign collaboration can be arranged, but after the sub controversy the most we could expect is to design a wheel nut if we are lucky, so that might not even be an option anyway. Mind you if son of Corby ever gets in I fully expect us to buy Chinese if we buy anything at all.

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