Flying displays were not the only things up in the air at Farnborough this summer. Uncertainty over the future of Tempest, the UK’s next-generation combat fighter, cast its shadow over the international airshow.
Concerns were aired within the industry that the programme, seen as massively important to Lancashire’s economic future, could be scaled
back as the new Labour government reviews the state of the nation’s defences.
On his visit to Farnborough, where a new concept model of Tempest was unveiled, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer spoke of the importance of the sixth-generation jet programme, being developed jointly by the UK, Italy and Japan.
However, he stopped short of guaranteeing the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP), working to deliver Tempest by 2035, would not
be affected by Labour’s defence policy review, which will report next year.
Ben Wallace, the former Lancashire Conservative MP and defence secretary, warned the lack of that firm commitment was “jeopardising tens of thousands of jobs in the UK.”
Engineers from across BAE Systems are working on the project, with much of its development, including the creation of a flying combat air demonstrator, taking place at its Lancashire plants in Warton and Samlesbury.
It is set to take to the air within three years.
BAE System’s line on Tempest is that its delivery would ‘enable the UK to retain control over its own security, support important international relationships and meet future threats, whilst contributing to economic growth and prosperity’.
It has also pointed out the programme is already generating more than 3,500 jobs across the country.
Asked about the defence review, Simon Barnes, the recently appointed group managing director, air, for BAE Systems, told Lancashire Business View: “It is right and proper as governments come in that they take a look at defence and they go through a process which is very structured and laid out.
“I’m really confident in what BAE Systems is, what the air sector is, what it represents to the UK in terms of military capability, national value, skills and growth. You put those together and it is an incredibly powerful combination.
“I’m absolutely confident that as the review takes place the power of those three ingredients will shine through as they have done in the past.”
A former apprentice, who has risen through the ranks in a 26-year career in the defence industry, he took over his current role in December.
Previously he was managing director of the company’s operation in Saudi Arabia.
In the interview, carried out at Farnborough, he also spoke about the importance of the sector and BAE Systems to Lancashire and stressed
the defence giant’s commitment to the county and its workforce there.
The company employs more than 11,000 at its Lancashire operations, with thousands more working in its supply chain.
He said: “We are a global business but in the combat air sector, and the air sector that I have the privilege of running, our team has its spiritual home in Lancashire.
“Therefore, when we do things like move our Typhoon project forward, when we talk about GCAP in terms of our very long-term projects, with people and capability at their core, as well as defence outputs, it makes me really proud.
“The ability for us to continue to provide high-quality jobs for people at all ages in Lancashire and across the UK is one of the driving forces of the business.”
He pointed to the investment made, both in BAE Systems’ Lancashire operations and in skills, to ensure the company’s future success – including the millions of pounds spent creating its Academy for Skills and Knowledge (ASK) on the Samlesbury enterprise zone.
He said: “If you think about a facility like the ASK, that kind of investment is something that businesses make with a very long-term view.
“You don’t do that unless you are planning to be in the region and be productive in the region and value the throughput of young people becoming trained in crafts, project management and engineering.
“The investments are being made because we have a long-term future. It is all about being here for the next 20, 30, 40 years.”
Highlighting that BAE Systems is the largest apprentice employer in the UK, he added: “Our role is also to provide the people.”
He went on: “I started as a technical apprentice. I’m really proud we do so much with young people, especially in Lancashire.
“Our apprentice scheme is oversubscribed. If you look at the numbers we are taking on, 600 this year. The number of applicants for those
roles, demand substantially outstrips supply.
“We are also hiring at an unprecedented rate in terms of mid-career experienced hires.
“If you just go on to our website you can see the number of vacancies we have and a lot of those are Lancashire based. We are looking for different skills types.
“The message we want to get out is we don’t just need people who have been through the traditional engineering route.
“We want people from a whole variety of backgrounds.”
That includes employing people with gaming degrees as the business harnesses training software running on gaming technology.
“We are casting our net widely,” he added, sharing his belief that a career in defence appeals to “a broad spectrum of people”.
Warton is also home to BAE Systems’ ‘Factory of the Future’ – another muti-million pound investment and a test bed for game-changing new technologies that will transform how combat aircraft are made in the future.
Simon said: “There’s a lot of concept work, but we are actually demonstrating that in real life and showing that we don’t just talk about
design and technology, we put it into practice.
“The Factory of the Future has been a fantastic opportunity to show people how we are doing that, how we are putting the technology to work.
“We are a great tech business but you have got to apply tech. The Factory of the Future shows how you apply that tech and you actually get to a product.”
Describing the North West as a ‘Silicon Valley’ style area for aviation and defence, he added: “The big message for the people of Lancashire, our workforce, is we are investing for the future.
“We are going to be prioritising Lancashire for the long-term.”