Combat air set to play the fall guy in UK defence review
As high-profile budget difficulties tie the UK government to making tough, long-term procurement decisions across air, land and sea domains, the RAF’s combat air plans are highly likely to be revamped, according to a leading defence source.
A current pledge to buy 138 F-35 fifth-generation jets sits at the top of UK air power priorities and runs together with an initial investment of £2 billion ($2.6 billion) to fund the next-generation Tempest combat aircraft programme.
However, based on budget constraints, the target of advancing both efforts as desired is a ‘big ask’, Douglas Barrie, senior fellow for military aerospace at
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