BAE Systems' 'history making' new Demonstrator fighter jet is the Fylde coast through and through
A ground-breaking combat aircraft being built in Lancashire will help shape the future of British military aviation as engineers prepare for its first flight in 2028.
Progress on the Combat Air Flying Demonstrator- which is being built by BAE Systems at Samlesbury- is progressing well. Thousands of Lancashire folk, including many from the Fylde coast and BAE’s Warton site, have worked hard to get the history-breaking jet close to completion.
What Is the Combat Air Demonstrator?
The Combat Air Flying Demonstrator is a new fighter jet which has been designed, prepared and built by BAE across both its Samlesbury and Warton sites.
When it flies for the first time in 2028, it will become the UK’s first crewed combat air demonstrator in more than 40 years.
It is being built by BAE to test advanced aerospace engineering, digital design and manufacturing techniques as the world heads into a new era of air defence and attack aircraft.
When will it be ready?
Bosses at BAE have confirmed that works to the Demonstrator are progressing well. The final assembly is expected to be completed in Warton by the end of 2027, with test flights planned in 2028.
Two thirds of the aircraft’s structural weight is now in manufacture and RAF pilots have completed over 300 hours of simulated flight training on the jet.
New training methods, including a specially-built VR room- have been trialled alongside the Demonstrator to help advance design methods.
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What will it look like?
The Combat Air Demonstrator has been described as a ‘bridge’ or stepping stone between current fighter and 6th generation UK fighter jets. The commonly used Eurofighter Typhoon, for example, is a 4th generation aircraft. A US F-35 is a 5th generation aircraft. The Demonstrator will become the UK’s first step towards a new generation of air defence.
The Demonstrator is being built with a carbon-fibre frame and is expected to be significantly larger than the Typhoon, despite plans for it to use the same engines.
More than 1000 Lancashire people- many of whom live on the Fylde coast- have been involved in the project so far, along with the Demonstrator’s 100+ suppliers, ⅓ of which are based in the North West.
What did the experts say?
Tony Godbold, FCAS Delivery Director at BAE, told the Gazette:
“Sadly, this world is a complex place and the threats that our adversaries offer unfortunately generates the need for a 6th generation combat air capability, and our pathway to that in the UK is through our Demonstrator.
“We are pushing the boundaries of new technologies, capabilities in engineering and manufacturing to get data, knowledge and people developed ready to take part in the next generation programmes.
“It's been a fantastic story arc, if you will, with the 40th anniversary this year of the first flight of AEP Demonstrator in 1986.
“I've been able to connect with some of the people involved in that programme, and It's been a huge inspiration for me. We are writing that next chapter of combat air aviation history here.
“I think there'll be a lot of grown men crying (when the Demonstrator is finished in 2028). There have been a lot of people who’ve been supporting us, we’re all very proud, and it’ll be an amazing time when it takes off and comes home safely.
Paul Wilde, Platforms Delivery Director at BAE, added:
“The build is progressing well. With something as complex as this, there's always challenges, but I think the attitude of the team and the drive to really get this done is really impressive.
“Lancashire has got a rich history and a rich heritage of the aerospace industry, and here we are creating the next chapter of UK aviation history. Many of the things that we are looking to demonstrate with our Demonstrator are cutting edge for the world.
“We're really fortunate here in Lancashire, with opportunities for young people, it’s absolutely phenomenal. We've got some world-class early careers and apprenticeship schemes and kind of really high calibre people coming through.
“The work's really exciting. Young people can go within a couple of years of starting their job to design a part that will fly on an aircraft, or write some software that will be in the programme.
“It's an absolute privilege to be part of the Demonstrator. The AEP was in textbooks back when I was in school in the 1980s, so it was a real inspiration for me to connect with the industry.
“So from there to now, to think that I was going to be part of a similar chapter-writing moment in our history, I’d never have dreamt that. It’s been a real privilege to be on this journey, and it’s quite humbling to be in a position of delivering the programme along with the team.”