BAE Tempest II

[jymp]

Who's gonna step up and develop the BAE Tempest II 6th generation fighter ?, lol, seriously it's an awesome looking fighter, like the Clint Eastwood Firefox and the YF-23 had a baby..

[dhazelgrove]

I've just had a look at this (here).

"Directed-energy" weapons? Are we talking Daleks here?

Dave

[Sundog]

I've just had a look at this (here).

"Directed-energy" weapons? Are we talking Daleks here?

Dave

It's just a concept design, like so many concept designs, that is just serving as a focal point to get some R&D money for the U.K.'s Typhoon replacement. As for the directed energy, I know the F-35 is supposed to be tested with a laser turret (On an F-35B, where the laser's generator would be powered by the drive shaft used to drive the lift fan; i.e.- the laser turret replaces the lift fan). Having said that, at this point, they're really just looking at using them for self defense weapons to shoot down incoming A2A missiles, or damage the seeker such that it can't track the aircraft.

I think Northrop's idea of just using incredibly small (8" long?) A2A missiles to shoot down incoming A2A missiles makes more sense. In fact, I think the B-21 will actually have something like this for self defense.

[Dino Cattaneo]

Waaaay to early.... at this moment in time the Tempest is basically a feasibility study. We are years away from an actual technology demonstrator, and maybe at least a decade from the first production-representative aircraft....Sure, one cool thing of flight simulation is the possibility to fly things that do not exist yet, but for me it is way too soon.

[robcarrich]

I really like the optimism when talking cost, “£2 billion will be spent by theBritish government on the project by 2025”
Seems to me there’sa missing floating zero.

[wombat666]

Boris will sort it Rob..................................
Sorry but I just HAD to say that!

[robcarrich]

Boris will sort it Rob.

We live in hope!