When people describe the UK’s role in the F-35 fighter programme, they often invoke its early status as a “level one” partner, once a badge of influence at the heart of the world’s most advanced combat aircraft project.
Yet, as evidence to the House of Lords International Relations and Defence Committee showed last week, that position has changed.
Dr Sophy Antrobus of King’s College London told peers that the UK’s “level one partnership was for the systems development and demonstration part of the programme”, which no longer exists. “We are now equal partners in the production and in-service phases,” she said.
Even so, Britain’s early investment still carries weight. “Although we do not have that status anymore, it still contributes to our standing,” she noted, adding that 15 percent of every F-35 is built in the UK. Something heavily disputed.
That foundation remains valuable, but the country’s leverage has slipped as other partners have expanded their orders. Dr Justin Bronk of the Royal United Services Institute explained that “the tier one partner status was during the development process… at the time, we were buying by far the largest number of aircraft.” Britain once planned to buy 138 jets; it has ordered 48, with roughly 40 now in service.
Meanwhile, other countries have moved ahead. “Italy, Japan, Norway and the Netherlands all operate more jets than we do,” Bronk said. “Our participation in many practical areas has fallen significantly short of where our initial commitments were.” The result, he argued, is a polite but unmistakable awareness in Washington that London’s influence no longer matches its rhetoric.
The UK still holds a privileged position in some of the F-35’s most sensitive areas. Through the Australia Canada United Kingdom Reprogramming Laboratory, it can modify mission data and electronic warfare files, capabilities not granted to most other partners. Yet even that advantage is being eroded.
“Australia is increasingly competing with the UK for the most preferred partner spot,” Bronk observed. “It has more aircraft, flies them nearly twice as much, and is a constant presence in the Indo-Pacific.”
Britain remains a core ally, but its standing within the F-35 enterprise has evolved from prime mover to trusted contributor. The UK’s technical footprint endures, but its political and operational influence has thinned.
If Justin Bronk said it, it must be true. What’s the difference? Do we get some sort of prize for bringing Tier 1, maybe Lockheed will gives us a badge.
These are academic “experts” speaking to the House of Lords.
They have as much relevance as Reddit.
They still have more relevance than many of the ‘experts’ on here.
This is obviously a direct result of the paucity of UK orders of the aircraft-We still talk the talk but no longer walk the walk.
Don’t try and obfuscate with the old Tempest trope, as both Japan & Italy are involved in that project and have ordered more F35 jets than us.
We can always droll on the promise of Tempest Jam tomorrow I suppose.
Our rollout , and future projection of provision of the F35B is quite disheartening to be honest , and as for what difference it will make , lets see what happens with the AUKUS submarine project and how Australia fares in that- I think geopolitically we may be in for somewhat of a rude awakening.
I have to agree with you.
They will have been briefed and understand a lot more….
As for F35 it is pretty clear RAF went cold on it….as they don’t gave the budgets to run them hard as they are even more expensive than Typhoon per flying hour.
‘Specialist ally’
That’s the UK through and through to be honest.
What is it when it comes to Defence with our Politicians ? 🙄
Word waffle.
This looks to be a normal change, frankly overdue, as the aircraft transitions away from the initial design stages. I don’t think it reflects a change in British status in and of itself, unless of course, the other nations are still being referred to through the ‘Tier’ structure? I don’t think they are.
Yes exactly.
There is no such thing as tier structure now and tier never meant anything after development.
Every bit of work granted on F35 is done on a commercial basis.
We could order 200 F35’s tomorrow and it won’t make a bit of difference to our work-share or getting our weapons onboard.
The USA has just as many problems as we do and no one else has any weapons integrated. (Israel does its own)
There was a time when we talked about buying 150 Joint Strike Fighters but that quietly declined to 138 and now there must be some uncertainty about the final number.
60 in total A’s and B’s and that will be your lot
Specialist? More special needs ally
Or to use a technical term…”basket case”