Francois presses Ministers on radar delays, Typhoon future

A senior Conservative MP used the Westminster Hall debate on Typhoon sovereign capability to demand clarity on radar upgrades, export prospects and the impact of the Government’s planned F-35 mix.

Mark Francois, MP for Rayleigh and Wickford, told the Minister that the Turkish deal for 20 Typhoons was welcome, but raised several urgent questions about both the industrial and operational future of the aircraft.

He asked the Government to confirm the radar fit for the Turkish tranche 4 jets and whether Meteor would be included in the package, emphasising the implications for BAE Systems, Leonardo and MBDA. He also sought confirmation on reports that Qatar may transfer older Typhoons to Turkey, suggesting this could drive additional UK orders. Francois also pressed for updates on potential further exports, including the long-stalled Saudi requirement and Poland’s interest. He argued that additional sales are essential to sustain work at Warton and Samlesbury.

Much of his intervention focused on capability risk. He noted that the RAF has retired around 30 tranche 1 Typhoons, reducing combat mass. He also asked for confirmation that when the remaining aircraft in the Falklands are withdrawn in 2026 to 27, they will be replaced by tranche 2 or 3 jets to maintain the islands’ air defence.

Francois warned that the aircraft’s future performance depends on programmes that have not yet been contracted. He told MPs that although Radar 2 has been fully developed by Leonardo, “the MOD has still not placed a production order even for an initial batch”. Both tranche 2 and 3 aircraft require the phase 4 enhancement package to exploit Radar 2’s electronic warfare functions, yet, he said, “the MOD has still not placed an order for the final development and installation of P4E”.

The MP also examined the wider combat air mix. He noted the slow build of the Lightning Force and asked Ministers to set out the final number of F-35s to be procured. The planned substitution of 12 F-35Bs with F-35As, intended to support NATO’s nuclear mission, prompted further scrutiny. Francois asked what mix of variants the MOD will ultimately buy and how they will sit alongside Typhoon through the 2030s and 2040s.

Turning to the Global Combat Air Programme, Francois urged the Minister to confirm that Tempest remains on schedule for 2035 in light of industry rumours of delay. He described GCAP as a critical component of future sovereign capability and warned that any slippage would have significant implications for how long Typhoon must remain in frontline service.

Carns responds with assurances on upgrades and long-term planning

Responding for the Government, the Armed Forces Minister Al Carns acknowledged the scale of the issues raised. He said the aircraft has “proven itself to be the UK’s premier multi-role combat aircraft” since 2003 and remains fundamental to air policing at home and across NATO. He highlighted current RAF activity on the eastern flank under Operation Eastern Sentry and recent deployments in Poland, Romania and Estonia.

Carns also spoke on the industrial significance of the programme, noting that 37 percent of each new Typhoon is manufactured in the UK and supports “more than 20,000 jobs across the country”. He said the Turkish order is worth up to £8 billion and supports at least 330 British suppliers, describing it as evidence that the Government’s export approach “is delivering”.

On the upgrade path, Carns stated that Typhoon will “continue to underpin our combat air capability into the 2040s” and that the radar modernisation is backed by £3 billion of investment. He said the new electronically scanned radar is being delivered with Eurofighter partner nations and remains “on track for delivery in the next decade”, sustaining hundreds of skilled posts, particularly at Leonardo in Edinburgh. Although he did not provide dates for production orders or commit to specific P4E milestones, he reiterated that Typhoon is undergoing a “comprehensive set of upgrades to deliver operational advantage”.

Carns confirmed that Typhoon and the F-35 will remain a complementary mix. He did not address the detailed concerns about the F-35A nuclear mission, the future weapons fit, or the timeline for Meteor integration, but repeated that the RAF is accelerating its adoption of new technologies and intends to remain “the leading European air force”.

He also linked the long-term picture to GCAP, saying the project remains central to the UK’s future air combat architecture and that Tempest will form part of a broader shift to new systems and innovation. Carns did not comment on reported schedule pressures.