The Ministry of Defence has outlined the transformative role of the F-35 Lightning programme in bolstering the country’s military capabilities and supporting domestic industry, responding to parliamentary questions from David Reed MP (Conservative – Exmouth and Exeter East).
Defence Minister Maria Eagle described the F-35B as a “5th Generation, swing-role combat aircraft equipped with advanced sensors, mission systems and stealth technology.” She stated that it will serve as a “central component of the UK’s Combat Air for decades to come,” capable of operating from land and Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers.
Eagle also noted its “unrivalled sensor, avionics and weapon employment capabilities,” which will be updated regularly to counter emerging threats.
The programme is also positioned as a significant contributor to the UK’s international influence. According to Eagle, the aircraft’s “cutting-edge expeditionary capability” ensures it can deploy rapidly and work seamlessly with NATO, the Joint Expeditionary Force, and other allied forces.
Economically, the F-35 programme plays a substantial role in the UK defence industry. Eagle highlighted that “approximately 15% of every F-35 aircraft delivered globally is manufactured by UK companies,” though the exact contribution remains a point of debate, with some arguing it’s less than that.
The UK is the design authority for crucial components, including rear fuselages, batteries, ejector seats, and actuators, which are manufactured domestically for the entire global fleet.
Eagle added, “This manufacturing and equipment support includes over 100 UK-based Tier 1 suppliers and has created over 20,000 highly skilled jobs in the UK.”
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What idiot Doom Mongers even suggested they would be??
I had the craziest conversation with one yesterday who was viemently sure that the F35B would be scrapped in the SDR and that the USMC hated them so much they were building catobar carriers and swapping to F35C
That is totally crazy at all levels.
USMC hate them so much they retired Harrier early!
Joking apart everyone I’ve talked to from that part of the world loves them as they are just so much more capable.
That person is very crazy. It’s the only aircraft suited to our carriers, and we are at an early stage in receiving our 138!
Calm down Graham I’m still waiting for 48 (47).
I had some idiot telling me what death traps they were, and how they can’t fly- then proceeded to send me an article from 2011. The media loved to hate it back then- but again, it was the largest defense project in history and click bait and twitter “journalists” were just coming into vogue- so it was all doom and gloom. There’s lots of podcasts with pilots who’ve switched to it from 4th gen or fought against it in a 4th gen… it sounds even more capable than I had ever imagined. The sensor fusion and situational awareness is simply… Read more »
Lord knows but some Typhoons T4 would be welcome at the moment.
Just klick bate, every headline now a days has to have some “crisis” in it.
Blimey there is lots of strangeness going on…I suppose that’s what you get in a defence review. I think people forget that when you are reviewing something you have to explore all possible options even if you have no intention of taking that option. I suspect someone deep in the review was asked to assess how much scrapping the F35 would save vs how much it would cost in replacing that capability with something else, in the same way they would have looked at pretty much every other capability.. We have all done that, I have included the costs savings… Read more »
Interesting – I find it hard to imagine how care can accurately be ‘costed’.How would you quantify the loss of the care the hospital provided to the local community for example? Anyway I digress-
Don’t forget there are also ‘rumours’ (however unfounded) about the loss of a (the) carrier(s) – so if that were to be realised then the unique capability & therefore importance of the F35B’s is reduced- Meaning other options may be move viable..not suggesting thats the case of course but that may have been part of the ‘costings’….
As normal there seems to be the treasury desperate to cut and they’ve run out of big savings now, so the government has to not only make good on the 2.5% GDP but increase further. Not sure any government can now put a spin on cutting anymore without sounding stupid and obviously lying.
I read an article that they want to put both carriers in extended readiness – practically impossible but I’m sure the treasury has asked.
Any cut now is a capability cut not just a capacity cut.
The Treasury role is largely confined to setting the upper budget, it will be the MOD and inter service rivalry looking at these extreme solutions. While it’s important for reviews to look at such things it’s also important to understand ever time the civil service is asked to do a review of anything the cost will be in the millions and will no doubt involve a heap of external management consultants.
The MOD already knows the force it wants and other than a few minor changes and a bit more budget nothing major needs to happen.
Its always silly season in the press when a defence review is on the horizon.
Wtf? Where did the fictional scrapping claim come from?
Clickbait probably. Some people will do anything for attention.
Another clickbait scare story with no basis in reality…
This is nuts, first the carriers, now the F35. It would be frankly bonkers to scrap them, we need more of them, we need more Typhoons . We need to accept that defence unpalatable as it is , is a far higher priority than it is and defence decisions should not be left to the frankly myopic treasury who only see money and not consequences.
Did this relate to the first 14 UK F-35B that are said to be too difficult/expensive to bring up to the latest standard?
So did David Reed claim they were being scrapped, or ask about it? Or was the question framed very differently, would be nice to know. Can’t see anything beyond the heading that mentions it. I tend to presume headlines that aren’t clickbait generally give rise to further detail within the following actual content and expand upon it…. Well unless it’s the Daily Mail.