Italy to invest USD2.4 billion in Tempest programme

Italy seeks to invest EUR2 billion (USD2.4 billion) in the Tempest programme under plans disclosed in the country's latest multiyear planning document (Documento Programmatico Pluriennale: DPP) for 2021–23.

The DPP, released on 5 August, revealed that the Italian Ministry of Defence (MoD) plans to allocate EUR60 million between 2021 and 2023, EUR90 million between 2024 and 2026, and EUR1.85 billion between 2027 and 2035 to fund capabilities for the Tempest programme. Specifically, EUR6 billion is identified for research and development, while acquisition and support funding are yet to be fully defined.

The DPP marks the first formal commitment of funding since Italy signed up for the Tempest project in September 2019.

The Italian Ministry of Defence disclosed in its 2021–23 multiyear planning document that it seeks to invest EUR2 billion (USD2.4 billion) in the Tempest programme through 2035. (BAE Systems)

Tempest is listed among the seven ‘flagship' programmes that are deemed of strategic importance for the defence sector, as it features increasing opportunities for international co-operation, high technological value, and strong returns for the domestic industry. The programme will see the MoD supported by the Ministry of Economy and Finance, Ministry of Economic Development, Ministry of University and Research, and Ministry of Digital Innovation.

As noted in the DPP, Tempest is envisaged as a manned/optionally manned fighter, capable of operating in highly contested and degraded environments, and will be part of a wider, networked, system-of-systems (SoS) – the Future Combat Air System (FCAS) – that will include unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), weapons and sensors systems, and other current and future aviation assets and technologies.