Designed in Australia, the CCA is designed for future operational needs.
Boeing will promote its MQ-28 Ghost Bat at the Farnborough Airshow in anticipation of the UK’s future need for an operational joint combat aircraft (CCA).
“We definitely see some applicability in terms of its capabilities and certainly in terms of its maturity for the UK armed forces,” says Tom Breckenridge, managing director of Boeing Defense UK.
“BD UK can be an important partner in life support and perhaps in other aspects when we think about payload or something else,” he said at a pre-show briefing on July 13.
The recently published UK Defense Investment Plan (DIP) details a CCA demonstration activity that will see the UK system operational before 2030, describing such a platform as “autonomous fighterHowever, the company did not provide any specific details about the possible future acquisition.
“We are very enthusiastic about the platform and its capabilities and can certainly see the opportunity for the MQ-28 in the UK,” Breckenridge says of the Australian-designed Ghost Bat. “The maturity of the platform compared to its competitors sets it apart, as well as its unique capabilities and the way it is developed,” he states.
Boeing will also use the July 20-24 event to promote its T-7A Red Hawk, which is among several likely competitors for future Royal Air Force (RAF) trainer aircraft.
“We believe this is the best response to the UK’s JTS (Jet Training System) competition,” says Boeing Defense UK aircraft director Ben Kelsey. “It includes not only the aircraft, but also a ground-based training system, as well as real-time synthetic training, which we believe meets the UK’s needs better than any other solution.”
The selection process for BAE Systems’ Hawk T2 replacement remains at an early stage, with DIP committing an initial £360 million ($482 million) before the end of this decade to recapitalize the fleet, which will also provide new aircraft for the RAF’s Red Arrows aerobatic team.
“We’re thinking about how best to position this (offer) for the UK,” says Kelsey, meaning letter of intent signed in November last year, under which BAE will carry out final assembly of the T-7 if it is selected for RAF service.
“We will be watching the RFP (request for proposals) with interest as it develops over the next few months,” he says, with Boeing committed to “bringing as much (work) to UK suppliers as possible.”
Boeing Defense UK will celebrate its 30th anniversary in December, having grown from its original six employees to its current 2,000 staff.
Its personnel are stationed at several military installations, including Lossiemouth, Waddington, Wattisham, as well as Bristol and Gosport.
Its core activities include integrated support for the RAF CH-47 Chinook and British Army AH-64E Apache helicopters, as well as the RAF P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft. It also trains pilots and maintainers for the Air Force’s fleet of C-17 strategic transport aircraft using the Farnborough base.
“We are in places where the Air Force or Army is, and we work with them every day,” Breckenridge notes.
The company is also supporting the ongoing deployment of the E-7A Wedgetail airborne early warning and control system, with the first of three 737NG-based examples entering service. undergoing testing from May at RAF Lossiemouth in Scotland.
The first of three RAF E-7A Wedgetails arrived at Lossiemouth in May. Source: Crown Copyright
“We look forward to the E-7 undergoing flight testing in the coming months and then entering service in due course, as well as seeing the next pair of aircraft completed,” Kelsey says.
“We have some work to do with the RAF as we go through the final stages of testing, but we have a dedicated, driven team who certainly see the need to complete and deliver this capability.
“The need to get E-7 into service is clear and we’re very focused on that. But we’re also very focused on making sure the product is safe and meets the expected level of quality so that it performs as we know it to and is the world’s best potential.”
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