Top of the agenda at the AERTEAM™ council held in Bristol at the end of November was to share and discuss recent customer requirement developments and to report on readiness for a full programme launch in 2025.

The council, and opportunity to discuss programme developments, was fully welcomed by the AERTEAM, especially as it is generally acknowledged that the Hawk T-2 now requires replacement (coincidentally, the day after the Chief of the Air Staff gave a speech noteworthy for his pointed confirmation of his desire to replace Hawk T-2, the RAF’s incumbent jet trainer, “as soon as possible”.

AERTEAM™ is comprised of key suppliers of major aerostructures and systems required to deliver the AERALIS Common Core Fuselage (CCF) – the beating heart of the AERALIS flexible Air System. It is from this that AERALIS’s Future UK Advanced Jet Trainer will be rapidly developed.

The Air System will enable multiple additional role-specific variants, including Aggressor, Intelligence, Search and Reconnaissance (ISR), Tactical Tanking and Loyal Wingman, each built around the CCF.

The AERTEAM™ members are:

• Hamble Aerostructures Ltd: Common Core Fuselage Airframe
• StandardAero: Common Core Fuselage Equipping and Engine support
• Martin-Baker Aircraft Co Ltd: Escape System
• Honeywell Aerospace Technologies: Engine, Auxiliary Power Unit, Environmental Control System, Life Support System
• Héroux-Devtek Devtek: Landing Gear
• Siemens Digital Industries Software: Digital Enterprise System development

Each AERTEAM™ member present confirmed their readiness to support a full programme launch, the latest programme and industrialisation plan and projected production build rates, all using the planned AERALIS AERSIDE® digital approach.

AERSIDE® – the AERALIS Smart Integrated Digital Enterprise (supported by Siemens Digital Industries Software and already successfully trialled by Hamble Aerostructures) – will connect AERTEAM™ members, as well as all other suppliers from the UK and overseas, enabling an efficient, integrated and UK-focused industrial solution.

“This programme is primed – ready to respond to support the UK Ministry of Defence and Royal Air Force (RAF) and deliver this unique proposition for the UK.”

AERALIS COO, Dr Neil Barnett FRAeS, commented: “It was a positive and productive discussion with the AERTEAM members, who each have proven industrial capability, based here in the UK, to support AERALIS in the delivery of the UK’s first British-designed and built family of jet aircraft in over 50 years.

“The digital groundwork that AERALIS has done to develop and prove AERSIDE® will enable AERTEAM™ to swiftly spool-up its development enterprise, seamlessly harnessing sites across Bristol, Southampton, Gosport, Runcorn and Uxbridge, to name but a few.

“This programme is primed – ready to respond to support the UK Ministry of Defence and Royal Air Force (RAF) and deliver this unique proposition for the UK.”