Typhoon fighter replacement faces years of delay
RAF could be waiting until 2040s for £12bn fleet of ‘next-generation’ Tempest jets
Britain’s state-of-the-art fighter jet to replace the Typhoon is set to be delayed by several years, The Telegraph can reveal.
Ministers have committed to creating a “next-generation” Royal Air Force by 2035 which includes a new jet called Tempest.
But the fleet of fighter jets is set to be delayed as the long-overdue defence investment plan (DIP) is expected to confirm that the funding for its project will only be released towards the mid-2030s.
The new jets are unlikely to enter service until the late 2030s or even into the 2040s. The original plan was for the upgraded Typhoons to enter service in 2035, with development set to begin in 2025.
