flightglobal.comUK DEFENCE
32 | Flight International | 17-23 March 2015
❯❯ The British Army’s Boeing/AgustaWest-
land Apache AH1s will either need to be re-
placed with the new AH-64E Apache or an-
other entirely new model of attack helicopter,
or the current type could have obsolescent
equipment replaced with up-to-date systems.
“It’s been on the [defence] minister’s desk
for quite some time,” Barrie says, adding that
a new type of rotorcraft would be the least
likely option.
“The safe bet is on an Apache-derived solu-
tion, but it is how you do that. Do you try and
reuse some of the kit that you already have in
the aircraft, or do you buy straight off the [AH-
64E] line in the US?
“We need to get this moving. The fleet very
quickly dwindles in terms of that obsoles-
cence issue – it’s a sooner rather than later de-
cision, so I would have thought that they’d
have to get that done during SDSR.”
COMMITMENT
One new procurement for the UK is the Lock-
heed Martin F-35 Lightning II, with a solid
commitment for 48 short take-off and vertical
landing aircraft. The UK has so far ordered four
F-35Bs to support initial operational test and
evaluation and training, and confirmed orders
for its first 14 fully operational examples.
“Somewhere in the 2015-2020 timeline,
you would hope that we would be placing
follow-on orders for the next tranche of air-
craft to come through,” Barrie notes, hinting
at a possible reference to future numbers in
the SDSR.
It is possible, therefore, that an indication will
be made regarding future numbers and what is
planned past the first 48 aircraft. The Tornado
GR4 fleet is expected to have been fully retired
by 2019, so more indication is needed regarding
what is going to happen to the RAF’s offensive
fixed-wing fleet past this point.
Ultimately, the UK has the fifth-largest de-
fence budget in the world, and is far enough
ahead of sixth-ranked France to remain that
way for some years. But as the country tries to
retain its place as a capable military power,
the realisation of its capabilities could make
this stance questionable.
“Given the level of ambition that we’ve cur-
rently got to remain a full-spectrum, capable,
medium-sized power, five squadrons of Ty-
phoons and 48 F-35s split notionally between
the air force and the navy does not seem to be
enough by quite some distance,” Barrie says.
A potential change of government in the
UK’s 7 May general election makes this an
even more interesting time. At this pivotal
point in decision-making, following what was
considered by some as hasty activity in the
last SDSR, both industry and the British de-
fence forces will be anticipating the release of
the new planning document, with significant
decisions expected to be made. ■
Operations against Islamic State militants led to a rethink about Tornado GR4 fleet sizeThe British Army could replace its current Apache AH1 model with the new-build AH-64EConfirmed plans so far call for a buy of 48 short take-off and vertical landing F-35BsCrown CopyrightCrown CopyrightCrown Copyright