The Ministry of Defence has set out how it will spend £5.4 billion maintaining and upgrading the UK’s Typhoon fleet, confirming the programme covers 107 aircraft and includes new radar, communications, software, defensive aids and an upgraded helmet-mounted sight.
Conservative MP Andrew Snowden, whose Fylde constituency includes BAE Systems’ Warton site where Typhoon is built, asked for a breakdown of the £5.4 billion Typhoon capability spend detailed on page 44 of the Defence Investment Plan.
Minister for Defence Readiness and Industry Luke Pollard replied on 8 July: “The £5.4 billion Typhoon spend detailed in the DIP comprises the planned spend to maintain and upgrade the UK’s 107 Typhoons. It includes radar, communications, and software upgrades, new defensive aids systems, and improvements to weapons systems such as the upgraded helmet mounted sight.”
The 107 figure confirms the size of the fleet the money is intended to sustain, spanning the Typhoons based at RAF Coningsby and RAF Lossiemouth that fly Quick Reaction Alert, NATO air policing and, most recently, air defence patrols alongside F-35 jets from HMS Prince of Wales during Operation Firecrest.
The radar reference points to the continued rollout of the E-Scan AESA radar across the fleet, which upgrades the aircraft’s ability to detect and track multiple targets simultaneously, while the helmet-mounted sight allows pilots to cue weapons simply by looking at a target. The Defence Investment Plan separately confirms Typhoon will be sustained and upgraded into the 2040s, remaining the backbone of UK air defence alongside the F-35 and, eventually, GCAP.
The answer, though, does not break the £5.4 billion down by individual upgrade programme or give a value for each element listed, nor does it specify a delivery timetable for the radar, communications and defensive aids work beyond the general commitment already set out in the plan.
50 million a jet. What does a new F35A cost?
About £60m for the USAF, a little more for partner nations like the UK, and a little bit more again for non-partner export nations like Finland. Probably not more than £70m, though.
That said, given this money for the Typhoon will upgrade their radar systems, and F-35As are currently being delivered without their radars, I think it’s money well-spent. 🙂
Probably £140m for F35 if you take into account their availability.
In your world a less capable more expensive aircraft is good idea……
I think it’d be wrong to say that either the F35 or Typhoon are less capable.
They have different capabilities. The F35 can take off from a carrier, use it’s stealth and it’s got a much better radar (although that gap will close a little when the Typhoon upgrades are complete).
The Typhoon has the ability to deploy more weapons (and more advanced ones (e.g. Meteor vs AIM120) and standoff weapons, it’s more suitable for air policing, where stealth is not a requirement, and per-hour it is cheaper to fly
With or without an engine? The Danes are paying >$115M each, with an engine, I think. Operating costs, through the roof, check out Defence Analysis view.
Agreed, I’d rather be putting money into Typhoon, especially as any and all extra-nice bits of tech are sovereign and can be plugged over into Tempest. There’s a value to the £50M right there.
Are the UKs 12 F35As a definite or were they cut for savings?
They were included in the DIP.
Sorry, Defence Analysis does not believe that includes the engine!