Japan may become the next partner of the Tempest program. Yesterday, September 15, the portal defensenews.com He reported that during the DSEI London exhibition, the flags of four partner countries were flying over the model of the fighter.
According to John Morton, head of the project for the development of a new British fighter, Japan has been a partner in some elements of the program since 2020, but the Japanese defense industry can become a full — fledged member of Tempest by expanding joint developments-for example, in the field of electronic warfare and radars.
A mock-up of the Tempest fighter at the DSEI exhibition
Image source: defensenews.com
"We are currently conducting a joint study on aircraft engines with Japan, and this is very interesting. They have an FX program that is very similar to our time frame, 2035; the threat is very similar to the one we expect, and in terms of the country's technology, they are clearly at the top of the table, just like us," Morton said.
The Tempest project was officially presented in 2018. The British Ministry of Defense believes that the aircraft created under the Tempest program will complement the fleet of F-35 fighters and completely replace the Typhoon. The new project will be the joint brainchild of BAE Systems, Rolls Royce, MBDA UK and Leonardo, who formed the so-called Team Tempest. In 2019, Italy and Sweden joined the Tempest fighter development program.
