Aircraft
DSEI 2019: Italy Joins the Tempest Team
The Italian government has followed Sweden in joining the UK-led sixth-generation fighter initiative, while MBDA has unveiled further weapon concepts.
The Tempest mockup was displayed at DSEI along with various existing stores, such as Meteor, Spear, and Spear EW, and new weapons concepts. (Photo: David Donald)
The Tempest mockup was displayed at DSEI along with various existing stores, such as Meteor, Spear, and Spear EW, and new weapons concepts. (Photo: David Donald)

Italy has become the newest member of the UK’s Tempest sixth-generation fighter program, signing a government-to-government agreement to commit to the development of the aircraft, as well as electing to collaborate with British companies to garner industrial participation. This comes just two months after the Swedish government signed a similar agreement to contribute to the UK’s efforts, representing the transition that Tempest has made from a British endeavor to a pan-European one.