According to the 2021 Annual Report on the UK government’s IPA report published on 15 July, the Tempest Future Combat Air System will undergo a GBP 450 million (USD612 million) cut in the budget. For the first time, the report also revealed the British government’s estimated whole life cost of the program, with FCAS expected to cost £72 billion through 2070.

The IPA said that the ministry had capped spending on the first four years of the Tempest programme at GBP12.8 billion despite the UK’s Integrated Review of Security, Defence, Development, and Foreign Policy in March allocating some GBP1.65 billion for the aircraft’s concept and assessment phase.

What does ‘Amber/Red’ mean?

The IPA describe this rating in the following way:

“Successful delivery of the project is in doubt, with major risks or issues apparent in several key areas. Urgent action is needed to address these problems and/or assess whether resolution is feasible.”

Tempest is the RAF’s next-generation combat aircraft, coming into service from 2035 to replace the Typhoon.