Leonardo and Tempest, what is known (and not known) about the MoU signed by Guerini with the UK and Sweden
What really happens on the Tempest program in which Leonardo participates? Francis Walsingham's analysis
On 21 December, the Minister of Defense, Lorenzo Guerini (Pd), together with his counterparts in the United Kingdom and Sweden, signed a MoU (Memorandum of Understanding) which governs an equal collaboration between the three countries in the context of the Tempest program. That is the project for the construction of the 6th generation stealth fighter-bomber of British initiative, which Italy and Sweden joined in 2019.
"The agreement – reads the statement from the Defense – called Future Combat Air System Cooperation MoU, governs the general principles for an equal collaboration between the three countries and concerns all activities including research, development and joint concepting necessary for governments to make the choice of acquiring an advanced aircraft system to replace the Eurofighter ". As the Defense note specifies, "the agreement will be followed by the Project Arrangements and the Full Development phase, currently scheduled to start in 2025".
However, the one concerning the Tempest is not a real MoU for the development of the Tempest but for the development of basic technologies that can then be used in 6th generation systems.
The Tempest program will in fact be sub judice until the UK Defense Review scheduled for March.
As Start wrote, "the Tempest outline business case will be sent to the UK Ministry of Defense Investment Approval Committee for acceptance by April 2021".
As the Financial Times pointed out , the outline business case will consider three options: continue with Tempest; being a junior partner in an international program; or simply buy a ready-to-use fighter.
It could all end up in a Loyal Wingman-type drone to pair with the F-35.
We recall that the Tempest program is developed by BAE Systems, a consortium that includes Rolls-Royce, Mbda and the British division of the Italian Leonardo (formerly Finmeccanica).
On 22 July, the industries of Italy, the United Kingdom and Sweden started a trilateral collaboration within the project. These include, in addition to the aforementioned British industries, the main defense companies of Italy (Leonardo Italy, Electronics, Avio Aero and MBDA Italy ) and Sweden (Saab and GKN Aerospace Sweden).
Sweden has no 5th generation technology, but it is slapped by Bae Systems and Leonardo UK who gave it the Gripen mission system.
The MoU itself is empty, it refers everything to those Arrangements where the United Kingdom will make a mess by choosing who collaborates with it and who doesn't.
The entire Mou is strictly classified, although Guerini has gone out of balance and this has not been welcomed in diplomatic and military circles.
It is no coincidence that the Ministry of Defense published the press release relating to the signing of the agreement (which took place on 21 December) only on Monday 4 January, after the news had already leaked on the Nova Agency on 2 January.
We also recall the past statements of Guerini (the money for the Tempest is in the Eurofighter Typhoon).
In fact, at the end of October, the Defense published the multiannual planning document (Dpp) for the three-year period 2020-2022, which does not actually contain a first tranche of funding for the Tempest.
Unlike the English and Swedish partners, Italy has not yet defined which funding to assign to the new program.
But according to Guerini the resources for the Tempest "are identified within the program operating the Eurofighters".
Now, the effect may be different depending on who will manage that part of the Typhoon's appropriation. If done inconsistently, the ultimate effect could also be a clean cut in future Typhoon developments for hypo-financing coupled with a net transfer of funds to the UK.
Finally, again the 2020-2022 Dpp provides on page. 96 a multi-annual allocation until at least 2025. For 2020-21 € 625 million are planned: just to get an idea, originally they would have been no more than 500-515, there were also pressures to reduce but they have been reduced thanks to the framing of the Tempest program in the EF Typhoon (a kind of guarantee).
This is a machine translation from Italian language of a post published on Start Magazine at the URL https://www.startmag.it/innovazione/leonardo-e-tempest-che-cosa-si-sa-e-non-si-sa-sul-mou-firmato-da-guerini-con-uk-e-svezia/ on Sun, 17 Jan 2021 18:00:38 +0000.