The United Kingdom and Japan have announced plans to jointly develop a prototype fighter jet engine as they both pursue programs focused on fielding new-generation fighter jets, under the Tempest and F-X programs. The latest agreement is part of an expanding military relationship between the two countries, which also includes sharing air-to-air missile technologies.
The U.K. Ministry of Defense (MOD) today announced details of the agreement, a Memorandum of Cooperation, within which the Anglo-Japanese fighter jet engine is the flagship item. Work on the joint engine demonstrator will begin early next year with the United Kingdom investing an initial £30 million in “planning, digital designs, and innovative manufacturing developments.”
Beyond that, the MOD says that another £200 million, or around $266.6 million at the present rate of conversion, of funding from the United Kingdom, will lead to the development of a full-scale demonstrator power system, which will apparently be built at Rolls-Royce’s Filton facility in Bristol, England. In addition, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) and Ishikawajima-Harima Heavy Industries (IHI) in Japan, and BAE Systems in the United Kingdom will be involved.
No details of expected performance have been released and at this stage, it’s unclear if the so-called demonstrator engine will be installed in a flying testbed or if it will be used exclusively for ground-based static trials. It’s also unconfirmed at this stage whether the Tempest and F-X — if they both progress as planned — will be powered by a common engine. Both designs are planned as twin-engine fighters.
“This initiative with Japan is a win-win opportunity to develop world-beating power technologies together,” said Richard Berthon, U.K. Director Future Combat Air. “Investing and working together with Japan to demonstrate highly advanced engine systems will boost our national industries and design a cutting-edge military capability. We’re looking forward to getting started on this work and continuing our discussions on further collaboration.”
Under the Memorandum of Cooperation, the United Kingdom and Japan will also look at joint work on other technologies connected to the U.K.’s Combat Air Strategy, the centerpiece of which is a manned fighter jet, known as Tempest. Team Tempest also includes Italian defense contractor Leonardo, European missile consortium MBDA, and the British Royal Air Force (RAF), as well as Rolls-Royce.
“The industry teams in both the U.K. and Japan bring complementary technologies that will drive cleaner, next-generation power and propulsion for both nations’ future fighter requirements,” said Alex Zino, Director of Business Development and Future Programs at Rolls-Royce. “The joint engine demonstrator program is an exciting opportunity to bring together some of the best combat air capabilities in the world and will also enable the development of innovative and critical technologies that will be fundamental to the future of the defense aerospace industry.”
We do already know a little about Rolls-Royce’s plans for the Tempest engine, with engineers having already evaluated advanced engine technology. In the past, the company has described a new engine that will burn hotter than its predecessors, boosting efficiency. The British engine company has also been working with Leonardo to manage the heat generated by multiple onboard sensors and avionics by directing this back into the engines for cooling. Team Tempest is also known to have been examining the use of synthetic aviation fuel to reduce exhaust temperatures and also increase sustainability.
For Japan, meanwhile, the latest agreement with the United Kingdom raises questions about the role of its own fighter propulsion efforts. MHI completed a single example of the X-2 Shinshin experimental aircraft that has been used as a technology demonstrator for its future fighter program.
The twin-engined X-2 is powered by IHI XF5 turbofans, each of which develops around 11,000 pounds of thrust and has thrust-vectoring exhaust paddles for maneuverability. It had been expected that the F-X would eventually be powered by IHI’s in-development XF9 engine, which would have offered significantly more thrust than the XF5. With IHI now collaborating with Rolls-Royce, the role that the XF9 will play within this is not clear.
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