Nearly half of the jobs supported by the UK’s Future Combat Air System programme are based in the North West of England, with the programme currently supporting more than 4,500 jobs across the country, Defence Minister Luke Pollard has said.
The figures were disclosed in a series of written parliamentary answers to Conservative MP Stuart Anderson covering the regional distribution of FCAS employment, mid-career reskilling and the retention of graduates and apprentices recruited by Team Tempest.
Pollard said: “The Future Combat Air System (FCAS) programme supports jobs across the UK, including all nine regions of England plus Scotland, making defence an engine for growth. Around 43% of jobs are based in the North West of England, 19% in the South West of England, 16% in the Midlands, and Scotland accounts for about 8% of the workforce. The remaining 22% of jobs are split between other regions, including London and the East of England.”
The Defence Investment Plan states that 90 per cent of jobs supported by FCAS programmes are outside London and the South East of England. Anderson asked the MOD to provide the regional split behind that figure.
In a separate answer on mid-career reskilling, Pollard said: “The advanced knowledge, skills, and competencies required by the Future Combat Air System (FCAS) programme, with the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP) at its core, is getting more people in highly skilled jobs. FCAS supports over 4,500 jobs across the UK, with thousands more expected to be supported.”
Anderson had asked how many people had been reskilled mid-career as part of FCAS and GCAP. The MOD did not provide a figure, with Pollard saying: “Each Team Tempest industry partner offers a range of career pathways however neither the process nor underlying detailed information are managed centrally.”
A further question asked how many of the 3,000 graduates and apprentices recruited by Team Tempest since 2022 remain employed on the project.
Pollard replied: “The Future Combat Air System (FCAS) programme is creating opportunities for young people across the UK. Around 3,000 graduates and apprentices have been recruited by the Team Tempest industry partners since 2022, providing the opportunity to work on a range of combat air programmes, including sixth-generation combat aircraft development through FCAS.”
He again said detailed employment information was not managed centrally, adding: “Each Team Tempest industry partner offers a range of career pathways however neither the process nor underlying detailed information are managed centrally.”
FCAS is the wider UK programme covering future combat air capability, with the Global Combat Air Programme at its core. GCAP brings together the UK, Italy and Japan to develop a next-generation combat aircraft and associated systems for service in the 2030s.
Just like it makes sense to cluster surface fleet vessel manufacturing in central Scotland it makes sense to concentrate aircraft production in the North West.