Europe’s Future Combat Air Systems at Crossroads By David Oliver
Team Tempest UK partners are driving forward with the concept and assessment phase of the FCAS programme. © BAE Systems
In June 2021, the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) signed a £ 250 million contract with BAE Systems on behalf of Team Tempest UK partners to drive forward the concept and assessment phase of its Future Combat Air System (FCAS) programme which is expected to combine a core aircraft, referred to as ‘Tempest’, at the heart of a network of wider capabilities such as uncrewed aircraft, sensors, weapons and advanced data systems to form a next-generation capability designed to enter Royal Air Force (RAF) service from the mid-2030s.
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arlier this year BAE Systems chose the California-based company Wind River to support the technology demonstration work under the RAF’s Tempest programme. The initiative aims to combine advanced technical capabilities such as artificial intelligence (AI) to create opportunities, including the ability to use uncrewed aircraft and swarming technology for
controlling drones. The era of software-defined everything is pushing the pace of innovation and transforming market segments ranging from aerospace to industrial, defence to medical, and networking to automotive. Wind River will provide its VxWorks 653 platform and other safety certification evidence packages. A global leader in delivering software EDR | July/August 2022
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