The UK government has committed £708 million ($946m) to advance technology development for Tempest, the Royal Air Force's next-generation fighter jet, in an announcement timed to coincide with the Farnborough International Airshow. The funding extends an existing contract with BAE Systems under the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP), a joint effort with Italy and Japan, and forms part of a broader government push to strengthen combat air capability while boosting British industry and jobs.

The new money covers digital engineering, artificial intelligence and advanced manufacturing techniques such as augmented reality, 3D printing and robotics, and follows a Defence Investment Plan pledge of £8.6 billion for GCAP over four years, on top of more than £5 billion already spent. Tempest is due to enter service in 2035, with a flying demonstrator planned for next year, while Canada has just joined GCAP as an observer. Alongside this, BAE unveiled a "loyal wingman" drone prototype called Brontanax, and the Ministry of Defence awarded Lockheed Martin UK a £20 million contract for a hypersonic target system, Project Bowline, to test missile defences ahead of a 2027 flight demonstration.