Following the news that UK Defence Minister Ben Wallace has announced that the UK will field 74 F-35Bs by the end of the decade;

Madeline Wild, Aerospace, Defense & Security Analyst at GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company, offers her view:

“The announcement comes at a time of great change in the global security environment, as the UK is still seeking to reaffirm its position in the defense industry in a post-Brexit world. The financial importance of the F-35 and other programs should not be understated with allies such as the US placing great value on the economic commitment to defense demonstrated by the UK.

“Programs such as the F-35 help to secure ties to the US by providing a substantial revenue stream to US defense primes. UK firms also stand to benefit, as 15% of F-35 components are made in the UK. The number of F-35Bs in use by the Royal Air Force and Royal Navy will be more than triple the current 26 in operation by the end of the decade, an increase of 48 units. GlobalData forecasts the UK will spend $11.7 billion on the procurement of F-35Bs during 2022 to 2032.

“The UK’s commitment to the program has been demonstrated by the announcement of future F-35 fleet numbers. This number will provide the UK with more stealth-strike, ISR, and EW capabilities. These benefits will not be reaped, however, if the RAF does not reform the training and recruitment pipelines for its pilots.

“There is concern for operational capability of the in-service squadrons of F-35Bs as there are too few pilots to fly its current fleet. No information was given to as to how many were currently in training, but recent reports indicated that trainee pilots were waiting longer than usual for a specific training course. UK fast-jet pilots typically take 4.8 years to reach the operational conversion unit of their specified aircraft. This does not include the time taken to recruit or conduct basic officer training, meaning that the UK will still struggle to fill the new pilot requirement by the end of the decade.

“The importance placed by the US on the UK’s financial commitment to defense is reflected in the Defence Ministers ongoing desire to see the UK defense budget grow to 3%. GlobalData forecasts the UK defense budget to reach $75.6 billion by 2028. The results of the review of the Integrated Review are due by the end of 2022, which will shed further light on the UK’s assessment on the full impact of the invasion of Ukraine, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the cost-of-living crisis on the direction of UK’s foreign and defense policy.”