Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 2:25:03-2:26:15

A British supersonic STOVL fighter in the 1980s

An earlier supersonic STOVL aircraft would reshape the replacement path but would not eliminate the eventual need for an F-35B-like successor.

F-35BFleet Air ArmTempest (GCAP Combat Aircraft)Queen Elizabeth Class Aircraft CarriersSTOVL
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Question

How would a British 1980s supersonic STOVL fighter change the Royal Navy, the F-35B, and Tempest?

Short answer

An F-35B-like replacement would probably still be needed after about forty years, but it would face a higher performance benchmark. Tempest's configuration would depend on other decisions.

Notes

A British supersonic STOVL fighter introduced in the 1980s would give a later replacement a higher standard to meet. American involvement in the earlier design is considered plausible, so the consequences could extend to the F-35 programme itself. A roughly forty-year-old aircraft would still need replacement, making some form of F-35B-like successor likely in this counterfactual. Whether Tempest would become STOVL is left dependent on several variables. The choice also involves the politics of carrier aviation and the operating arrangements behind the Queen Elizabeth class.