20,000 jobs at risk if UK government fails to invest in British built Typhoons at BAE
Around 20,000 jobs are reportedly at risk if the UK government fails to adequately invest in BAE’s next-generation Typhoon programme, say union leaders representing the defence industry.
Unite is calling for urgent clarity from the government about the future of the UK’s fighter plane fleet, after it was revealed the Prime Minister will commit to buying a dozen F-35A fighters, primarily built in the US.
The UK will buy at least 12 F-35 stealth jets that can carry nuclear warheads in the most significant strengthening of its nuclear capability in a generation, the government has said.
Sir Keir said the F-35s will give the Royal Air Force the ability to carry US nuclear warheads for the first time since the 1990s.
The UK’s existing Typhoon fighter plane fleet is aging and needs urgent replacement, but Unite has argued this should be with the latest version of the Typhoon, which is made by BAE Systems.
The union says a purchase of new Typhoon’s would protect around 20,000 highly skilled, well paid defence jobs, primarily at BAE in Warton, Lancashire. But also at other companies including Rolls Royce, which builds the engines and Leonardo which builds some of the aircrafts key components.
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Not replacing existing fighter planes with new Typhoons would be a tremendous act of national self-harm.
“Government ministers need to stop dancing around their handbags and announce that we will be purchasing new T5 Typhoons. Tens of thousands of highly skilled UK defence jobs as well as our national security are reliant on that decision. In contrast, the UK jobs benefit from new F 35 orders is negligible and it doesn’t help when government repeats highly exaggerated claims about that.
“If we fail to back our defence industry then we will lose our sovereign capability to build fighter jets. The UK will not have the skills or ability to build and develop the Tempest aircraft, which is essential for our long-term security.”
The UK alongside Italy and Japan is currently developing the Global Combat Air Programme (Tempest). Unite says the entire new stealth fighter programme would be in jeopardy if the UK does not have the skilled workforce to develop the programme.
Over the operational lifetime of the F-35 and the Typhoon, the Typhoon would support six times the number of jobs directly and indirectly compared to the F-35. The figures are 20,000 to 120,000, says Unite.