UK keen to safeguard skills as Typhoon production winds down

In a letter to Tanmanjeet Dhesi MP, Chair of the Defence Committee, Defence Minister Luke Pollard has set out how the Ministry of Defence and industry are working to sustain critical skills for the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP) as Typhoon production at Warton faces the prospect of winding down without new orders.

Pollard stressed that “ensuring GCAP is enabled by the skills and technologies required has been a priority for the Department and our industry partners since the programme’s inception.” He highlighted the role of the Future Combat Air System (FCAS) Technology Initiative, a joint MOD-industry R&D programme, which has allowed companies to expand their workforce at the pace required and develop the necessary expertise.

The letter underlined a broad approach to workforce planning, including attracting talent from outside the combat air sector, engaging with academia and wider STEM initiatives, and promoting careers in GCAP to secure the future pipeline. Pollard emphasised not only recruitment but also retention, stating that MOD and its core partners are “working hard to ensure we retain a positive and inclusive culture.” Hundreds of organisations across the supply chain, from universities to SMEs, are now engaged in the effort.

While GCAP will build on the Typhoon skills base, Pollard confirmed that the MOD continues to invest in Typhoon to sustain the RAF’s capability and to pursue export opportunities. He pointed to ongoing campaigns, most notably the Memorandum of Understanding signed in Istanbul between the Defence Secretary and Turkish Defence Minister Yaşar Güler as a “major step towards the export of Typhoon fighter jets to Türkiye.” Such a deal, Pollard said, could support the 20,000 UK jobs tied to the Typhoon programme.

Export campaigns are also being pursued by Eurofighter partner nations Germany, Spain and Italy, while new domestic orders within those countries will see UK industry play a key role, given that 37% of all Typhoons are manufactured in Britain. Pollard noted that these orders underline confidence in Typhoon as “the backbone of their combat air fleets for decades as the UK, Italy and Japan continue to develop GCAP.”

Should any gap in production lines emerge, Pollard explained that BAE Systems has contingency plans to redeploy staff across the wider Typhoon programme and other complex combat air projects, mitigating the risk of losing skilled workers.