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A thread on UK industrial participation in the F-35 programme, "inspired" as a result of some interesting Written Answers in the House of Commons... 1/18 @Rotorfocus @GarethJennings3 @GazTheJourno @nicholadrummond @CommonsDefence @CommonsPAC
The UK govt (of all colours) has said from the start that UK industry has a 15% stake on each F-35 aircraft. Most recently, it was so stated in a Commons PQ by the Defence Procurement Minister https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2021-01-19/139983 2/18
Note that the Minister’s answer states that the 15% figure refers to “value of the F-35 Lightning production programme”, and so does not refer to any support activity. Note, too, that it speaks of “the F-35”, and not “the F-35B”. 3/18
But what makes up “UK industrial participation” in the F-35? Surely, to any reasonable mind, “UK work” means work undertaken in the UK, no? Consider this common infographic: 4/18
Starter for 10: what is/are the largest “UK” elements in the F-35? Likely that the first thing that will come to mind is the Rolls Royce lift fan. https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2021-02-03/148724 5/18
But even if it had been thought that this would be built in Bristol, it is now largely made in Indianapolis, and at least 60%+ by value is non-UK: jobs = US, tax = US, IP = US. This is not “UK-built”. 6/18
A fascinating, revealing Written Answer concerning the lift fan, giving, for the first time, the proof that this is not, as had been thought, a “British product”. https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2021-02-03/148725 - it is majority US, or at least non-UK. 7/18
“Paranoia alert”! “approximately 40%” UK built: rounded up at all? I’ve seen and heard figures that US-based work is actually more like 70% by value. Not beyond the MoD to try to make facts opaque... 8/18
And to tie this PQ back into the “15% of F-35 is British”, one can state that this cannot be the case. If the lift fan is the biggest UK part of the F-35, it is only fitted on the F-35B, which is, what, 20% of all F-35s? 9/18
Which would mean that for 15% of every F-35 to be British, the share on the F-35B would have to be closer to 30% - and that has never been claimed. The maths just doesn't add up. 10/18
Aft fuselage by BAES? Sure: yes. OK, Martin Baker ejection seat? Well, not a UK product. As the Martin Baker website makes clear, this is produced in the USA for all F-35s. So, scratch that one as a UK product. https://martin-baker.com/contact/martin-baker-usa/ 11/18
The infographic lists Survitec as a British supplier to the F-35 programme. But their website says the following about the crew clothing. And the brochure states that “F-35 PFE” was moved to a purpose-built facility in Ohio. Not sounding that British, it is? 12/18
What about the Moog Electro-Hydraulic Actuation Systems stated to be “British”? The contract is with Moog Inc, an American company. How much of the work listed as being “Moog UK” is actually done in the UK, and how much is the assembly of systems done back in the USA? 13/18
The same issue possibly applies to the Gentex helmet/oxygen mask. The website seems to suggest that the assembly facility is very much US-based, with mouldings being done in the UK. So, US or UK product? 14/18
13.Which raises a point: if the MoD is counting work not undertaken in the UK, but billed by UK registered companies, should not the opposite apply? Thus GE/Moog/Honeywell are all US registered companies, so surely their work should not be counted as “British”? 15/18
And as of lately, guess which other company listed on the infographic is now US-owned (and so possibly not classified as "British")? Cobham... 16/18
The overall point is a simple one: if the MoD is going to state, categorically that 15% of every F-35 is “made in Britain”, it’s going to have to show its workings. The F-35 was partly sold on the back of UK industrial participation in the programme. 17/18
But if, as seems to be the case, the actual UK workshare is far less than 15%, the balance of investment case for staying within the F-35 sees one leg chopped away. On top of this, the business case for Tempest rises… 18/18
