F-35B Manufacturing Facility Officially Opens

The UK is set to buy 48 F-35B fighter jets by 2025.

A new manufacturing facility which will help build key parts of Britain's F-35B fighter jets has been officially opened.

The facility will make the blades and other key components needed for the vertical take-off and landing system which will allow the jets to operate from the Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers.

Defence Minister for Procurement Stuart Andrew toured the Rolls Royce 'LiftWorks' site at Filton, near Bristol.

HMS Queen Elizabeth, which is currently off the coast of the United States, is preparing for flight trials with the F-35Bs.

The UK is set to buy 48 F-35B fighter jets by 2025 and the £9.1 billion programme has come under scrutiny over both its capability and cost.

Overall, UK has pledged to buy 138 jets.

Mr Andrew said the UK remains committed to buying more than 100 more aircraft, on top of the 16 the UK currently has.

"We are still committed to the 138 F-35s, let me make that absolutely clear," Mr Andrew told Forces News.

"It's the delivery and timing of each them as we bring them in, we've already taken delivery of our 16th F-35.

"This is a programme that we are committed to and so are our allies around the globe."

Earlier this year, politicians publicly voiced their concerns over the defence budget.

The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) warned that in a worst-case scenario, the UK Armed Forces could be up to £20.8 billion short of the money needed to buy equipment over the next decade. 

MPs at the time warned the Government that the department "simply does not have enough money to buy all the equipment it needs".

Mr Andrew said: "Obviously we're going through the MDP (Modernising Defence Programme) at the moment.

"This is a massive exercise but in terms of the scale of this project, each term we order a new batch, we obviously get more value for money and that is important for the taxpayer, as well as making sure we are getting the equipment our Armed Forces need."

The F-35B has been described as the UK's most advanced war plane ever.

Manufacturer Lockheed Martin described the aircraft of having "unprecendented" stealth capabilities, which make it "virtually undetectable to enemy radar".

When asked about the facility, Mr Andrew said: "I think what I've seen here is how this company has really made sure that it has adapted and it has prepared itself to become a company that will provide this critical elements of the F-35 programme.

"The other thing I've seen is how they are preparing the next generation with the skills that we will need whilst this project continues.

"This is a company that really has worked with the work force to ensure that it delivers on time and on budget with the issues that we need."

The Royal Air Force will utilise the jets in missions in early 2019 after the current intense training concludes in the US.

The RAF and Royal Navy pilots from 207 Squadron will return from the training and reform as 617 Squadron, the Dambusters. 

The squadron will be based at RAF Marham in Norfolk.

The F-35 programme is being rolled out internationally across the US, UK, Italy, Netherlands, Turkey, Canada, Australia, Denmark, Norway among others.

Israel has claimed to be the first nation to use the aircraft in a combat situation.