Future of the Royal Air Force
The planning for the future of the Royal Air Force involves supporting ongoing British military operations and the introduction of new aircraft types including unmanned aerial vehicles and the BAE Systems Tempest sixth-generation fighter in the 2030s.
[1][2] Priorities include greater focus on network enabled capability and mixing crewed fighter jets with UAVs and swarming drones.
[3] The new initiative will focus on increasing interoperability with members of NATO and becoming carbon net-zero, with strategies such as using sustainable aviation fuels in aircraft.
[4] The Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II is a family of single-seat, single-engine, fifth generation multirole fighters under development to perform ground attack, reconnaissance, and air defence missions with stealth capability.
However, on 19 October 2010, David Cameron announced that the UK would change their order to the F-35C CATOBAR carrier variant for both the RAF and Navy.
[7] The delivery of the UK's first F-35B was made on 19 July 2012 at Fort Worth, Texas, for flight trials by the RAF and Royal Navy.
[9][10] However, the 2021 defence white paper cut that number to only "more than 48" with the First Sea Lord stating that the objective would be to increase the order to 60 initially and then "maybe more up to around 80".
[20][21] As of the end of 2022, Defence Secretary Ben Wallace reported that the RAF and Royal Navy also faced a considerable challenge in providing even the existing modest F-35B fleet with qualified pilots.
The average wait time for RAF trainee Typhoon and F-35 pilots, after completing the Military Flying Training System, was approximately 11 and 12 months respectively.
[10] However, the 2021 defence white paper subsequently announced that the Tranche 1 Typhoons would instead be withdrawn from service by 2025,[26] apart from four based in the Falkland Islands which might be retained.
[36] In October 2018, Gavin Williamson, announced that the Government had begun negotiations with Boeing, having determined that the E-7 "represents the best value for money option for the UK against need".
With the E-3 Sentry having been withdrawn in 2021, this will leave a two-year capability gap that will see the United Kingdom rely on the NATO Airborne Early Warning and Control Force until the E-7 is operational.
[5][43] The A400M is increasing the airlift capacity and range compared with the aircraft it was originally set to replace; the older versions of the Hercules.
[28] The exact platform selected for Protector was not disclosed, but in February 2016, General Atomics Aeronautical Systems claimed that it would be a Certifiable Predator B.
[59] In April 2016, the Ministry of Defence confirmed it would seek to acquire the Certifiable Predator B through a Foreign Military Sales contract with the U.S. Department of Defense.
[62] In July 2018, it was announced that this aircraft will be designated "Protector RG Mark 1" (RG1) in RAF service, and is to be delivered in 2024 when it will replace Reaper.
[67] According to MBDA, the Royal Air Force intends to arm the aircraft with Brimstone missiles and Raytheon UK Paveway IV precision-guided bombs.
However in March 2024, James Cartlidge, the minister for defence procurement, informed Parliament that notwithstanding its formation in 2020, 216 Squadron had “completed [no] tests or trials [of any drones] ... either in-house or with industry” since being reconstituted.
[76] However, in June 2022, the MOD announced that Project Mosquito would not proceed beyond the design phase due to more beneficial and cost-effective "additive capabilities" being available.
[82] According to a House of Commons Defence Select Committee (DSC) report, a new "clean-sheet" manned fighter design has not been ruled out, nor has the option to buy further or upgrade existing aircraft.
