The United Kingdom’s programme to develop autonomous fighter jets will be named Storm Fighter, Defence Minister Luke Pollard has announced, with the aircraft intended to fly alongside the RAF’s Typhoons, F-35s and future Tempest jets as what he described as both “guardian angel and an attack dog.”
Speaking on the second day of the Global Air and Space Chiefs’ Conference in London, the Minister for Defence Readiness and Industry said the Collaborative Combat Aircraft programme, given the go-ahead in the recent Defence Investment Plan, will develop autonomous jets in the UK to provide new levels of lethality and survivability for crewed aircraft. “Today, I’m delighted to reveal that our new autonomous CCA programme will be named Storm Fighter. Storm Fighter will make the RAF Europe’s first sixth generation Air Force,” he told delegates, as quoted in the transcript of the speech.
The programme builds on Storm Shroud, the uncrewed electronic warfare system unveiled last year that pairs autonomous aircraft with Typhoons to blind enemy radars, and sits alongside £5 billion the Government is investing in drones and other advanced uncrewed systems, a figure Pollard noted has risen from the £4 billion previously announced. The Minister said the aim is to maximise British air power “in the eye of the storm of future combat, that will be swarming with drones, sixth generation fighter jets and ever-evolving EW capabilities,” and pointed to Project Vanquish, a trial of a jet-powered drone to serve alongside the F-35B force, as an example of the innovation ecosystem the investment is intended to nourish.
The naming caps a speech in which Pollard set out the scale of the air and space settlement in the £298 billion Defence Investment Plan, which allocates £31 billion to the two domains over the next four years. Within that, £8.6 billion funds the design and testing phase of the Global Combat Air Programme, following the £4.6 billion contract awarded earlier this month to the Reading-based Edgewing consortium of BAE Systems, Leonardo and Japan’s aircraft industry partners, while £1.1 billion will upgrade and sustain the Typhoon force well into the 2040s, more than £4.5 billion goes into the A400M, Voyager and C-17 transport fleets, and more than £2 billion lays the ground for the first F-35As that will return the RAF to NATO’s tactical nuclear mission, providing what Pollard called “a long overdue additional rung on our escalation ladder.”
A further £360 million will fully recapitalise the jet training system, which the Minister said will ultimately deliver new jets for the Red Arrows. Ending, Pollard argued that the plan amounts to a blueprint for “a hybrid digitally integrated and AI-enabled air force” built around three combat air platforms in F-35, Typhoon and Tempest, with the RAF strengthened by £27.8 billion of investment over the next four years and, in his closing words to the conference, a future that is “bright” and “Air Force blue.”
Storm Fighter? being run by the Met Office?❄️
Extremely dodgy financial numbers on display here.
It’s the MOD..
Makes sense since StormBreaker was already taken.
So is Stormfighter it’s a copyrighted Sea Anchor design for Yachts !
And, a brand name for a roofing tile too.
Why not “Sidekick” or is that taken too?
A “Storm Surge” would sound great.
Additional rung on OUR escalation ladder. Nope it’s entirely under US control.
Hitler liked to include “sturm” when naming weapons or formations. Now we’ve got Pollard doing the same.
He really comes across as an idiot.The more buzzwords he uses, the more sceptical I become.
So how is a programme we know even little about totally under the control of the US. Anything intelligent to add to back that up? I can only assume you are talking about the tactical nuclear capability of the F-35, if so best to talk about that on the appropriate thread and not on one devoted to a drone.
He included it in his speech, last sentence in the penultimate paragraph in the article. Didn’t you bother to read it?
We had w177 free fall nuclear weapons, under our control, until Blair got rid of them in 1998.
Under the F35A plan, the weapons are under US control, as they are in Germany and Italy etc.
Did you notice in his speech the comments about expanding the F35 fleet?
A fleet he’s confirmed in a written answer that HMG will not be adding to for this Parliament.
Lots through to lot 22, no orders.
So despite whether that’s a good thing to do regards Block 4, training people, all the reasons put forward as sensible excuses, we have a minister basically talking hot air, any expansion is in the future land of milk and honey this lot are not responsible for!!
So when are we breaking wind on this Storm ?
“I fart In your general direction”.
Windbreaker.
Let’s hope its not just hot air mate…..
Love to see this all come off.
But wasn’t an RAF ACM talking a few years ago of “Drone swarms” by 2025? Where are they? We have 216 Sqn with a handful of Stormshroud which require the RAF Regiment, RAuxAF, and reservists to operate.
And this CCA, it of course will need AAM and ASM, do we have enough?
Where will it be based? Where are the RAF personnel to operate it and maintain it? The remaining RAF Stations are busy, and full. So money needed to reopen or expand other stations?
I first read of this on Mark Urbans X feed, £20 million per aircraft was quoted.
Elsewhere, £360 million to recapitalise the jet training system! What with, Jet Provosts, for that money? Or maybe they will buy 10 jets and 4 FTS and the Red Arrows share them?
Meanwhile, the cuts continue unabated to enable the future jam tomorrow, will it ever arrive before the next review changes things?
Looking forward to it all, but the little details that Pollard omits in his Grandstanding need answering.
Herti, Mantis, Taranis, Mosquito, was there one called LANCA? Nothing progressed, why will this be any different with only £300 million of funding?
I’d read £20 million each, so that buys 25 at half a billion.
Just about to add, LANCA or Mosquito, or Vanquish was scrapped just a couple of years ago, as the MOD stated that cheaper OTS alternatives were available. Which weren’t bought, because they didn’t exist. And now the merry go round begins again, more trials, decisions awaiting information, procurement envelopes, greater lethality etc.
And minimal numbers.
And the MIC rubbing their hands….
And if MIC doesn’t design and make them. Somebody else will.
Of course.
Funnily enough, others not only design, but buy!
As will we. These are extremely complex projects. And without all the R&D that’s gone on, we couldn’t even think about designing and developing a 6th gen platform. It’s not all jobs for the boys. And if it is, I’d rather our boys get jobs then French or Americans.
As always, my priority is the military getting kit in their hands in number. Others might prioritise UK PLC. I don’t, sorry, not in military matters where our forces have crumbled these last 30. I don’t care how advanced, I don’t care how many jobs, how world leading, or what one bleeding Minister says before the next one comes along.
All that matters is the number and quality of kit that the RAF and FAA end up with in their hands.
How many Herti, Mantis, Taranis, Mosquito, LANCA did we get? None. Sure, the tech bleeds into knowhow for Tempest.
Great, that is the next great hope yet to be confirmed, like England winning the World Cup!!!
Meanwhile, the point of my post, the MIC. Did they reimburse the money that they got? Like hell not, they progressed nicely, as do their share values.
Did the RAF? We operate 24 model aeroplanes called Storm Shroud, that is the reality.
When this results in Squadrons being operated by the RAF and FAA, fab.
How do you think we got Typhoon? Or Tornado before it, or Harrier, or Astute class or T45s or aircraft carriers or T26 or any of the thousands of items of kit in service with our Armed Forces today. Because of investment in our own industry. You think other nations get better value for money. They don’t. They really don’t. You just hate this government, so think everything is crap.
😮…. Blimey Sir, I sense a little annoyance 🫡
As ever I am in lock step with you mate…
We need to preserve national capability
‘where its genuinely applicable’, to me that means warship/submarine and aspects of aviation.
Bringing back small arms manufacturing I absolutely applaud, being able to manufacturing ammunition for everything in service too, likewise.
Helicopters, a pure MIC/Political/ cough Leonardo cough, stitch up…
CCA, well…… In my humble opinion, we need to have a capable asset selected right sodding now with service introduction by 2030 at the very latest.
The reality is they simply haven’t budgeted for the complex capable CCA needed, in the numbers required, so its simply easier for the government to leave it dangling with promises of this, promises of that, talk about sovereign MIC capability and actually do sweet fu#k all.
We need CCA now, if we go down the sovereign route, it will end up being so expensive we will get a handful.
We need an affordable, capable system, thats affordable in quantity.
As an aside to this, if we drop carrier capability from the CCA, (in my humble opinion), the carriers are toast and they will probably be flogged off cheap by 2040 alongside the F35B fleet.
I think the RAF would simply be relieved to get shot of the pain in the ass B model anyway. They would replace the lot with 47 A models tomorrow given the opportunity!
They simply aren’t receiving the necessary investment to keep them viable pushing forwards (they wont even mount the bloody gun systems allocated!!). The cancelled Ark Royal ‘suite’ of modification opinions was a ‘very’ ominous sign…
The budget is 300 million I believe.
No idea if that’s sufficient to turn a name and a mock up into a realiity in service by 2030.
👍Its almost like working for Musk. Though I suppose he has occasionally got something off the ground and even have it blow up.
The name very much seems to indicate that our first CCA will be an electronic attack platform. Give the tight deadlines and budget this also make sense. We already have storm shrouds deployed on AR3. It very much sounds like they plan to rapidly deploy a similar capability into a jet powered drone. This all makes sense as a first step.
The a more advanced CCA can follow later using Tempest derived technology and or working with others like Germany.
A longer range jet powered electronic attack drone will be much more useful than something that can hall around a few AMRAAMS for the time being.
As will we. These are extremely complex projects. And without all the R&D that’s gone on, we couldn’t even think about designing and developing a 6th gen platform. It’s not all jobs for the boys. And if it is, I’d rather our boys get jobs then French or Americans.
Just realised there is an echo in here!!! 🙂
I think the Helsing CA-1 Europa might be the electronic warfare CCA.
Storm Fighter ? How camp. Might as well call it “Ruffian” or “Scoundrel”, they are about as intimidating.
Hmmm … perhaps the Strike Fighter series from the Star Wars film franchise? 🤔😉
I agree Storm Fighter is a fairly lacklustre name, but Ruffian and Scoundrel would make excellent names for disposable attack drones.
A swarm of Scoundrels descending on a Russian armoured column has a nice ring to it
This isn’t disposable, though, if that’s what you meant.
Otherwise, yes, good names for disposable assets.
IDK if it was posted here earlier, but the Canadians have signed on to GCAP in an ‘observer’ capacity.
When I mentioned this on the other thread, Levi mentioned that, yes.
Leh,
In a more cohesive and cooperative alliance than current politics permit, would advocate Uncle Sugar join GCAP/Tempest in an observer status, and GCAP partners join F-47 program in observer status. Other than competing commercial interests, fundamentally not different than AUKUS cooperation in concept. Parties reinventing tech is inherently less economically efficient for the overall alliance. Unobtainable aspiration w/ current political class, but perhaps in the future … 🤔🤞
How do you know all this stuff…. 🫡 I wish I was as clever at your age.
Then again, I had a great time chasing Girls, getting pissed and falling off bikes (not necessarily In that order)
I spotted that you also post on NL too earlier… anyway, keep up the great work 👍
So…. You got pissed on bikes and fell off girls Halfwit 🤔🤔🤔🤔😉
Awesome.
and in other news Canada has agreed to join GCAP/Tempest as an observer, expect the deal to be signed sometime during the Farnborough International Airshow
4.5 billion for the transport fleet sounds like a large sum of money on the face of it. Wonder if that means more Atlas?
Only game in town now – but we need new Wokkas
That’s what I thought at first, though I belive the Air Tanker alone is half a billion a year? So running costs added, who knows?
“Support” eats money as much as buying equipment?
Be interesting to see. Seems like a big old wedge but who knows??
I’ve read elsewhere that GCAP will be designed for boom refueling. What’s the plan for StormFighter?
Yes, the future Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP) fighter—commonly known as the Tempest—will be designed exclusively for boom refuelling rather than the traditional hose-and-drogue system.
An official from the Royal Air Force (RAF) confirmed that the sixth-generation stealth fighter will be equipped with a Universal Aerial Refuelling Receptacle Slipway Installation (UARRSI), which is the standard receptacle used for a flying boom connection.
This represents an unprecedented shift for the UK military, which has historically relied almost entirely on probe-and-drogue systems for its fast-jet fleets (such as the Eurofighter Typhoon and the F-35B)
The decision to adopt boom refuelling comes down to three key technical realities of the new aircraft:
Faster Fuel Transfer Rates: The GCAP/Tempest is being built as a much larger, heavier, long-range air superiority fighter compared to the Typhoon. A rigid boom system transfers fuel much faster than a flexible hose, dramatically reducing the time the fighter needs to spend hitched to a tanker during long-distance missions.
Trilateral Interoperability: The UK is developing the fighter alongside Italy and Japan. Both partner nations already operate heavily boom-capable tanker fleets. Adopting a boom standard ensures seamless cross-national interoperability across the whole program.
Autonomous Support Integration: Future sixth-generation doctrines will rely heavily on uncrewed autonomous “loyal wingman” drones flying alongside the manned fighter. Computerized boom refuelling systems are far easier to automate cleanly with unmanned aircraft than trying to steer a robotic drone’s probe into a swaying, wind-blown drogue basket.
Not sure what the plans are for StormFighter, but if its going to operate along side Tempest, then its going to be long range and will need to be refuelled in flight, so it makes sense that it will take on additional fuel from the same tanker: ergo, it will be equipped to accept fuel from a boom
The costs simply do not add up.
Looks like we might be getting a new person…. “from accounts” soon….. I heard that Diane Abbott might make a return…. apparently She’s doing the sums. 😊