Tempest stealth fighter: Britain's new RAF fighter jet unveiled at Farnborough Air Show - set to replace Eurofighter Typhoon and step up from F-35

The new jet is set to be unveiled at Farnborough International Airshow today (Monday 22 July). Known as Tempest, it is set to be a sixth-generation stealth aircraft, equipped with advanced weapons and radars, with the ability to fly at supersonic speeds.

The jet is roughly the size of a tennis court and is being built in partnership with BAE Systems, Italy’s Leonardo and Japan’s Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. The Global Combat Air Programme hopes to get the new jet into service in ten years.

It will feature intelligent weapons systems and a radar that provides 10,000 times more data than current technology. The redesigned fighter will have a larger wingspan than older jets, giving improved aerodynamics.

Tempest will replace the RAF’s current Eurofighter Typhoon, which has been in service since 2003. The initial phase of the Tempest project, due to be completed in 2025, has received £2bn of funding from the UK government. However, final costs are set to be significantly more. It is expected that the cutting-edge jet will join the RAF fleet from 2035, replacing the Typhoon.

Herman Claesen, managing director of Future Combat Air Systems, said: “In the 18 months since the launch of the Global Combat Air Programme, we’ve been working closely with our industrial partners in Italy and Japan under the collaboration agreement, and also with the three governments, to understand and align requirements for a next-generation combat aircraft. The new model, unveiled at Farnborough International Airshow, shows notable progress in the design and concepting of this future fighter jet. We’ll continue to test and evolve the design, as we move closer towards the next phase of the programme.”

Guglielmo Maviglia, Chief Global Combat Air Programme Officer, Leonardo, said: "The pace of the programme is extraordinary, building on a solid foundation and industrial legacy in each country and government-led partnership. Since the treaty was signed in December 2023, the programme has seen strong commitment from each partner. Each brings different, but complementary, qualities and requirements.

"We are now working closely together to exchange knowledge, address common challenges and achieve common goals. The programme is immensely important for Italy, for Leonardo, including our UK-based business, and for wider Italian industry. GCAP represents the future of combat air in a System of Systems perspective for our generations to come."