The British Ministry of Defense confirmed that the F-35 fighters are expected to remain on the front line until the 2060s, even without defining when the sixth-generation aircraft will take over the missions currently carried out by the Typhoon and the F-35 itself.
The position came in response to a parliamentary question that sought to clarify the schedule foreseen in the 2025 Strategic Defense Review, which mentions future fighters from the GCAP program, but without firm dates.
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According to Minister of State Luke Pollard, the F-35 fleet will remain a pillar of the UK’s aerial capabilities for decades to come, as the country develops its next generation of aerial combat. The government reinforces that the future operational mix must combine manned aircraft, unmanned platforms and current systems, without indicating when the transition will take place.
The lack of concrete deadlines reflects a more flexible strategy adopted by the defense review, which favors paths of continuous modernization. Although GCAP aims to deliver a sixth-generation fighter by around 2035, the government treats the number as an ambition, while the Typhoon is still receiving upgrades that should keep it operational until the 2040s.
Source: UK Defence Journal | Photo: X @DefenceHQ | This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team
