Inside the test aircraft for GCAP, the UK’s next-gen fighter

Leonardo-2Excel ‘Excalibur’ Flight Test Aircraft with new side and belly pods. Credit Dave Turnbull – QinetiQ (2)

Leonardo-2Excel ‘Excalibur’ Flight Test Aircraft with new side and belly pods. (Credit Dave Turnbull/QinetiQ via Leonardo UK)

WILTSHIRE, United Kingdom — The development of the UK’s sixth-generation Tempest jet took a significant step forward this week with the MoD and industry partners unveiling the latest version of the Excalibur flight test aircraft (FTA), complete with integrated sensor pods.

At a media event inside the FTA’s dedicated “Hangar 499” at a secretive airfield in Wiltshire on Dec. 9, Leonardo UK, 2Excel and the MoD confirmed Excalibur (a modified Boeing 757) had successfully completed its first phase of modification and flight testing, including the integration of side and belly pods to accommodate Integrated Sensors, Non-Kinetic Effects (ISANKE) and Integrated Communications Systems (ICS) as part of Tempest.

Officials present revealed that Excalibur took its first flight with the sizeable sensor pods to confirm airworthiness on Nov. 26. According to an official statement published on Dec. 9, the sensor pods have been designed to host the ISANKE and ICS sub-systems which Leonardo UK and its international partners are “developing as part of their work on GCAP.” However, the aircraft is not expected to begin flying with ISANKE/ICS payloads until 2026.

“Further modification to the Excalibur FTA aircraft will include a fighter jet-style nose cone to host advanced radar-based sensor demonstrators,” the statement added.

According to the MoD, Excalibur is a “flying laboratory for combat air technology” which falls within the UK’s Future Combat Air System (FCAS) program and includes Tempest as well as additional capabilities including uncrewed aircraft, information systems and weapon systems. In simplest terms, the UK is using it to test out the tech it might want on its next-gen aircraft.

But for now, it’s just able to fly with UK-developed technologies, confirmed Andrew Howard, Leonardo UK’s director for GCAP, despite the presence of Japan and Italy as part of the GCAP team.

“Everything you’ve seen [so far] is UK Team Tempest work that was kicked off in 2018. We’ve obviously been briefing our [GCAP] partners about this now for probably the last 18 months, to a varying degree of detail. And the expectation is that if they choose to work with us in the next phase, as the Team Tempest activity concludes, it would logically transition to GCAP. So the first set of TDPs are UK TDPs, and we’re progressively looking at international partnerships from 2027/28 — that type of timeline,” he explained.

Japan is currently using a C2 aircraft to support its own ISANKE/ICS requirements for GCAP, which Howard said is “very similar to our own.”

“Their ambitions are different to ours and the type of sensors are going to be different to what we’re proposing. But that is a Japanese industrial decision linked to their work share that they are pursuing independently of us, which we’re very happy with. And similarly, our Italian colleagues, who get test access as well.”

Howard also confirmed there are no existing plans to modify an additional 757 to support Tempest or GCAP, despite what he called the “massive risk” of something happening to Excalibur that sets the GCAP program back.

In 2025, Leonardo UK and 2Excel will integrate the nose and chin section which will feature the new Multi Function Radar System (MRFS), wing pods, and additional centerline pod at the back of the aircraft as well as a “load” of antennas around the aircraft, a 2Excel official added.

The official also confirmed Excalibur must conduct a “three-point landing” to ensure the integrity of a heavy nose and chin section and stated its next flight would take place in March 2025.

In his concluding remarks, Leonardo’s Howard suggested he had not anticipated the size of the pods integrated on board the Excalibur.

“It really does bring it to life. We’ve all talked about this in the program over the last couple of years and spent a lot of time in meetings, and coming here today, seeing these things makes it very real. The ambition of what we’re going to try and do behind those pods with these very complex sensors is really exciting, and obviously it’s just another step on the journey.

“The aircraft isn’t finished yet by any means. The sensors aren’t there by any means, but to see the good work that 2Excel and the team have done, the progress that we’ve made, is really exciting, and I think it’s building trust with our partners.”