The Ministry of Defence has confirmed that a comprehensive assessment of Typhoon capability upgrades is underway, including radar, defensive aids, avionics, and weapons, as part of the aircraft’s long-term modernisation plan.
According to Defence Minister Luke Pollard, “an assessment of the planned Typhoon upgrades is currently underway. Further information regarding upgrades to the Typhoon’s systems and equipment will be communicated in the forthcoming Defence Investment Plan.”
This assessment complements ongoing work within the four-nation Phase 4 Enhancement (P4E) programme, which aims to deliver a step-change in Typhoon capability across the UK, Germany, Italy, and Spain.
Pollard stated that “the four-Nation Phase 4 Enhancement (P4E) upgrade programme is in the System Definition de-risking phase of activity, following the signature of the System Definition Contract in 2024.” He added that “over the coming months, the four nations will agree on the final P4E capability package, which will then move into the Design, Development and Demonstration phase.”
He confirmed that the partner nations have also agreed to begin early design work on long-lead activities, ensuring that “critical path activities for P4E capability are protected.”
The combined workstreams are expected to bring major improvements to the Typhoon’s radar and mission systems, including the introduction of advanced electronic warfare measures, sensor fusion, and enhanced connectivity for networked operations. Weapons integration is also set to expand, sustaining Typhoon’s role as NATO’s principal multi-role fighter alongside next-generation systems such as the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP).
Roll on DIP. Can’t wait to see what will be announced.
Change in teabags from PG to Tesco own brand.
That just made me spit out my tea!
PG was already pushing it to be fair.
More like changing the AA batteries in a glow stick.
Don’t get your hopes up.
CDS was specifically asked at the Defence Select Committee about the flexibility of the Strategic Defence Review scope, and said that it was initially based on the 2.5% GDP investment rate but could be accelerated to higher rates if justified by the threat, and political will by implication.
Given the new NATO 3.5% GDP Defence spending agreement with 1.5% GDP on infrastructure investment the threat, so investment is far above the Peace Dividend delusion 2% GDP level.
Obviously specialised Defence manufacturing capacity isn’t flexible when efficiency is uppermost so it’s crucial that the Defence Investment Plan has sustained demand that encourages investment in capacity that will be somewhat more than the immediate requirement.
For example the 155mm ammunition capacity doubling reported on this platform requires investment on multiple sites where different components are made, and crucially in the people to actually do that.
So it’s not a vain hope, rather a rational process to rebuild capacity and be honest that capacity has a cost, too. If UK continues to collaborate with Ukraine, there will be demand across NATO and friends for all kinds of battle proven products. NLAW and Martlet being a few obvious examples.
The clowns need to grow Typhoon Force as a priority – they don’t seem to understand the concept of mass.
Germany, Spain and Italy are increasing their fleets so why isn’t the UK doing the same? Some pragmatism to increase masse and lethality, which they keep talking about, needed for these times.
And aren’t only 40 odd Typhoon’s getting the full upgrade, what about the other 60? Can’t these all be done?
We can’t order more Typhoons, because the RAF’s.fast jet budget has been totally commandeered for a decade to pay for the F-35bs for our showboat carrier.
The FJCA budget only stretches to 6 or 7 new aircraft a year, so it will be 2028 or 29 until the final 23 F-35Bs are delivered. There is as yet no spare money to buy any other combat aircraft in the meantime.
Then the schedule is to buy the initial 12 F-35As over probably 3 years. The A is about £30m cheaper per aircraft than the latest Typhoon, so the best bet for adding some mass.
Only 40 of the 107 Typhoons will be upgraded with the new European Common Radar System. The upgrade is extensive and very expensive, I read somewhere that the cost per aircraft could be over £40m, nearly half the cost of a new Typhoon, which is rather staggering if true.
We can assume that the MOD’s plan is to replace the remaining unconverted Typhoons with Tempest from 2035.
There seems to be a thought on here that defence got an extra £5bn this year.and there should be money to spend on new kit. I think it is actually £2bn this financial year, the £5bn kicks in in FY26/27 and then another £5bn the following year.
All this to say that, while we badly need another 24 Typhoons, there is alas no spare money to buy them. Whether the UK should have sapped its very small combat air capability to provide for one aircraft carrier in far-off waters is another matter.
Good breakdown but that was then…
I mean the 2.1% GDP to 2.5% GDP uplift planned by UK government by reducing the overseas aid budget..
However, all of that is outdated by the recent NATO Defence spending agreement of 5% GDP spending. From gov.uk :
“With the new 5% commitment on national security, the UK expects a projected split of 3.5% (core defence) and 1.5% (resilience and security) to be agreed at the NATO summit, with a target date of 2035. Under NATO’s new estimate, the UK expects to reach at least 4.1% of GDP in 2027.”
So that is a significant increase to speed up the Strategic Defence Review scope with F35A being the headline item, but more Typhoon T5 still a possibility if BAE Warton can scale their capacity to handle their existing EF workload and additional aircraft.
Existing Typhoon seem quite busy with Enhanced Forward Presence and easily good enough for Quick Reaction Alert against lost bears.
Cheaper air time than F35 should mean better taxpayer value and pilot readiness.
Rumour has it that flying a desk is a result of more pilots than usable aircraft hours so changing that would be good too. Bored pilots leads to separation and lost taxpayer value.
That 4.1% by 27/8 basically equates to 2.6% core spending though, once the 1.5% ‘resilience spend’ is taken off (which is, given its scope, an exercise in accountancy).
Meaning a 0.24% rise from 25/26 levels of 2.36%.
Plans to increase spending by 10B+ by 28/29 is not really the injection the UKAF need to repair the last couple of decades, let alone produce real gains in capability.
After planning the assessment, they are assessing. So then they’ll plan the design, then they’ll design. Then they’ll plan to test the design. Then they’ll test the design. Then they’ll plan a prototype (assuming nobody insists on a tech demonstrator). Then they’ll build a prototype. Then they’ll plan to test the prototype, and then they’ll put it on hold for a year pending the next SDR. Besides there’ll be an election coming and Farage will be biting at their heels so they’ll have to give lots of money away in a “pre-election bonanza”. Then the new government will agree to test the prototype (despite the fact it will already be in service in Italy by then). Finally they’ll decide it’s only a few years to Tempest, so there’s no point in planning to upgrade any operationally and the upgrade budget can be better used strafing small boats in the Channel. A year later they’ll cancel Tempest and announce that they are planning on an assessment of buying F-47s.
Hilarious and consistent with the Peace Dividend delusion SDR as budget cut approach!
Since the Peace Dividend delusion is over and 5% GDP is agreed, at least 4.1% GDP by 2027, according to gov.uk, the SDR is going to be funded at an accelerated rate and suppliers challenged to raise their delivery pace accordingly. Obviously safety first still stands with aerospace but digital engineering does take a lot of delay out. 3D printing parts for early fit assurance before cutting expensive alloy is business as usual in F1 for a decade. The innovation is relentless.
Given the explicit Transformation objectives of SDR and the increased funding to accelerate it, it’s reasonable to expect something different and better than before.
Announcement of a confirmation of a proposal to consider convening a committee to examine the pros and cons of conducting an evaluation of the methodology of the assessment of a potential project to contemplate the options available for a future request for proposal from industry partners for Typhoon upgrades, subject to terms and conditions and HM Treasury and future economic performance and the prevailing price of butterfly wings in Siberia.
You’ve been watching ‘Yes, Prime Minister’ again
I’m noticing a distinctly sarcastic comments trend here lately !!!
Wouldn’t catch me being like that.
Not sure that the pessimism/sarcasm is deserved on this one.Germany, Italy and UK are all planning to upgrade their tranche 3 Typhoons with the new AESA radar and it’s in.their future budget plans. The hold-up, other than finessing the technical and cost details, is that their combat air budgets.are currently at full stretch paying for the F-35s currently being delivered.
Of course, the Typhoon upgrade could be derailed for technical of financial reasons, but I doubt it, there has been a lot of money spent on development so far and there is a lot of industrial muscle involved, can’t see the national partners pulling the rug on this one.
Sarcasm, you? Anyway, I like Lonprfb’s suggestion of flying desks personally. Not the most aerodynamic, pilots might get cold shins but, hey, so long as they can cruise at 450 – 500 knots and reach 30 to 35,000ft to intercept Blackjacks and Bears, that might make for a cost effective QRA solution! Use the Typhoons elsewhere!
“System Definition de-risking phase of activity”
In the meantime our apparently cutting edge Radar 2, grinds along at a snails pace.
By the time we fit this into a handful of jets, Tempest will be in full production and its technology will have been elapsed.
It’s enough ti make you despair.
Here’s an idea, buy Spains surplus Tranche 2 jets and rebuild all the surviving RAF trance 2 and 3 fleet to an advanced common standard with radar 2 etc…
Get fu#king on with it!!!!!
EJ230 engine, conformal fuel tanks for extra reach, 5000lb class weapons. Not holding my breath.
The new radar passed its flight trials with flying colours 3 months ago. But production is only slated to start in 2028. It sounds like the delay is financial rather than technical, as the MOD is already £2bn over budget this year.
We need to get a move on with this or we will miss out on orders for the new German and Italian Typhoons. They want this new British
Captor E Mk2, because its got greater range and better SEAD, but if we can’t deliver it in time, they’ll stick with the current Mk 1 version.
gov.uk: “With the new 5% commitment on national security, the UK expects a projected split of 3.5% (core defence) and 1.5% (resilience and security) to be agreed at the NATO summit, with a target date of 2035. Under NATO’s new estimate, the UK expects to reach at least 4.1% of GDP in 2027.”
So SDR assuming 2.5% GDP to SDR accelerated by 3.5% GDP is a significant uplift to the 2.3% GDP currently.
The Peace Dividend delusion has allowed politicians to safeguard their electoral prospects by shifting Defence spending to social provision and even war in Europe hasn’t enabled them to pivot back to Defence, yet.
5% GDP Defence spending agreement is the pivot required.
“4.1% GDP by 2027”
You clearly don’t understand this. Let me break the bad news as gently as I can. The 1.5% on resilience and security is nothing much to do with Defence. For example, the Army may use the trains, so spending on HS2 could be considered as resilience. We are spending less on field hospitals and moving injured soldiers to the NHS, therefore spending on the NHS might be considered in the mix. I think italy are building a new bridge with some of theirs. Any excuse to count anything in the mix, but the key thing is — it’s money we are already spending. Before we just weren’t counting it as Defence. We’ll stick a new label on it and magic happens: 2.3% of GDP on Defence becomes 3.8% without troubling the Treasury one jot. Do you remember the Prime Minister’s announcement that he was going to transfer 0.2% of Foreign Aid budget to Defence and magically rename a further 0.1% of current security spend? That’s your 4.1%.
The only new money this parliament is the £6bn or so coming from Foreign Aid in 2027. And that’s mostly going to fill in black holes of current over-commitment.
However, Santa’s definitely real.
Santa lost his non-dom status, so may not visit Britain again.
Sounds like more spin….