Fylde MP Andrew Snowden has slammed the government after a Defence Minister confirmed that the Royal Air Force is still exploring a potential mix of F-35B and F-35A fighter jets, following a significant drafting error in an official parliamentary response earlier this year, an error first picked up and reported by the UK Defence Journal.
The original government reply to Andrew’s Written Parliamentary Question last October suggested a definitive shift towards acquiring F-35As alongside F-35Bs, a move interpreted as possibly sidelining the UK-built Typhoon jets assembled at the BAE Systems plant in Warton.
However, the government has now admitted this was a drafting error. The corrected statement clarifies the RAF’s plans are not yet decided, with a possible F-35A acquisition dependent on future military requirements and discussions, including the UK’s potential role in NATO’s nuclear sharing mission.
Andrew Snowden said:
“This backtracking exposes the muddled thinking and lack of clear commitment from ministers on a vital issue for Lancashire’s defence industry. Workers at BAE Systems in Warton and Samlesbury deserve certainty, whether that’s investment in Typhoon jets or a credible future programme for UK-built aircraft.
“The original response gave hope that Typhoon production might continue and grow, but the Strategic Defence Review and subsequent clarifications show ministers are still hedging their bets, with Typhoon ‘upgrades’ on one hand and a possible shift to American jets on the other.
“What this amounts to is confusion that risks leaving a world-class British aerospace facility underused at a time when we should be strengthening our sovereign capabilities.”
The government’s Strategic Defence Review notes that more F-35s will be needed over the next decade, which could include a mix of the F-35A and F-35B variants. The F-35A’s possible inclusion has been linked to the UK’s evolving role in NATO’s nuclear sharing mission, an important development that marks a significant expansion of the UK’s nuclear commitments beyond the submarine-based Trident deterrent.
Unite General Secretary Sharon Graham has previously warned that moving away from Typhoons threatens “the systematic erosion of the UK’s sovereign defence capabilities” and puts thousands of skilled jobs at risk in Lancashire.
Andrew concluded:
“It is vital that the government ends this uncertainty. We need a clear strategy that supports British manufacturing and the thousands of skilled workers whose jobs depend on it. Lancashire’s defence sector is ready to deliver, but ministers must stop dithering and commit to a plan that give the RAF the new Typhoons that it needs, protects our national security and our local economy.”
