UK, BAE Systems To Invite Indian Air Force To Co-Develop Sixth-Generation Stealth Fighter Aircraft ‘Tempest’

The United Kingdom will be inviting Indian Air Force (IAF) to co-develop a high-tech sixth-generation stealth fighter called the ‘Tempest’, reports Business Standard.

The concept of Tempest was unveiled last year during the Farnborough air show.

According to the Business Standard report, a delegation from United Kingdom comprising of country’s Ministry of Defence (MoD) officials and executives from the British defence manufacturer BAE Systems will arrive on 18 February for the Aero India 2019 exhibition in Bengaluru.

They will reportedly brief India’s defence ministry and IAF officials over a potential for collaboration in the project.

“We are looking for international partners to access the best assured capability (for developing the Tempest),” head of BAE Systems India, Nik Khanna was quoted in the report as saying.

The sixth-generation fighter is expected to enter the service around 2035-2040 and will replace the earliest versions Eurofighter Typhoons, which are currently in service with the air forces of Germany, United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia, Italy, Spain and Oman.

Though the configuration and capabilities of the Tempest are still being worked out but it is clear that the sixth-gen fighter will be far more technologically advanced than the fifth-gen aircraft like the F-22, F-35, J-20 and J-31.

Khanna, on the question of what role could India play in development of the Tempest, said, “A big cost driver for a futuristic aerospace system is going to be the requirement for more and more software engineers. India has a huge capability in that area”.