Imagining a combat plane of the future is not difficult. The difficult thing is to build it. That is precisely the ambition behind the Tempest: a sixth generation hunt that does not intend to resemble current aircraft, but to rewrite how air combat is understood. The project, promoted by United Kingdom, Italy and Japan Within the framework of the Global Combat Air Programme Gcap, it does not pursue only a technical evolution. It is a declaration of intentions on technological sovereignty and defense.
Tempest is not a simple new generation hunting. The Royal Air Force defines it as “the heart and mind connected to an air combat system”, capable of integrating sensors, weapons and data into a single operating flow. In other words, the Tempest is not only a platform with wings, but the control center of a swarm of technologies that communicate with each other to make decisions faster. The future hunting seeks to act as the tactical brain of an operation.
That translates into a series of simple requirements. One of the most important is autonomy. As explained in the official podcast of the program, the Tempest aspires to reach a “really extreme” range, wide enough to cross the Atlantic without reposting. At the moment it is an objective under study, not a closed requirement. This autonomy would seek to allow prolonged operations without depending on cistern aircraft, in scenarios where to enter and leave the enemy territory is less challenging.
The other key requirement is load capacity. The objective, according to the words of the director of the Team of Requirements and Conceptualization of the United Kingdom Ministry of Defense, is that it exceeds that of the F-35, even reaching Duplicate your total armament capacity. There is no precise figure on the table. What is safe is the ambition to turn the Tempest into a platform that integrates not only more missiles, but also advanced and electronic war sensors, without compromising its stealth profile.
The hunting that wants to be brain, muscle and network
From the beginning, the design of the Tempest revolves around the idea of a digital ecosystem. BAE Systems, Leonardo, Rolls-Royce and MBDA are working on technologies that are not limited to fuselage. The program is structured around systems such as Isanke (integrated sensors and non -kinetic effects) and ICS (communications), which will form an intelligent network between fighters, drones and other assets of the battlefield. The goal is for the pilot to have more information, more context and more reaction options than any adversary.
An F-35 Florida (left), render of the storm (right)
All this requires power. Propulsion power, but also electric. As Rolls-Royce explained, the new propulsion system will not only move the plane, but will generate sufficient electricity to feed advanced sensors, electronic war systems and probably, Laser weapons. The architecture will be open, modular and prepared to receive updates over time, something key in an environment where military technology changes every few years.
Manufacturing tasks of the main structure (left), motor tests (right)
That approach also moves to the manufacturing process. The project is betting on digital engineering techniques, automation, real -time modeling and simulation by digital twins. The technology demonstrator, which is already built in Warton, will serve to validate all that approach. According to Bae Systems data, more than half of your structural weight, including fuselage and wings, is already in production.
In addition, the British Ministry of Defense has confirmed that part of technological development includes experimental recycling of tornado aircraft components. The so -called project ‘Tornado 2 Tempest‘He managed to successfully print pieces such as a nose cone and blades for a test engine. This is a proof of concept that seeks to reduce costs, minimize the dependence of critical metals and explore new manufacturing paths with lighter and more resistant materials.
To all this is added the human factor. More than 2,500 people already work in the program in the United Kingdom. Many of them are young engineers trained within the Generation Tempest initiative. As technological advances and international alliances are added, the Tempest ceases to be a concept to become a tangible reality. The expectations are high and we will have to wait to know if they are met. Everything indicates that it will be a hunt very different from everything known.
Images | GCAP
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