UK Has A "World Leading Position In Combat Air", Says Defence Secretary

Defence Secretary Gavin Willamson.

Being outside of a customs union will not restrict Britain's ability to deliver combat air capability, according to the Defence Secretary.

Gavin Williamson told MPs that he was confident many nations would want to work with the UK because of its "world leading position in combat air".

Whilst reading his Combat Air Strategy statement in the House of Commons, Mr Williamson said: "In terms of partnership with other nations, I don't think that we should actually just look to Europe in terms of future partnerships.

"For far too often we have been bound and thought that we could only look to other European Union nations.

"The time is now to look to the whole globe, see what other nations we can partner with and make sure that we build strong and new alliances. These are many nations that we have strong military links with and strong and deep connections with.

"We're very confident because of our world leading position in combat air there are many nations that will want to work with us.

"I do not believe that we should be in the customs union and that is the Government's policy and I do not believe for one minute that actually being outside of a customs union will (in) any way restrict our ability to deliver on Tempest."

On Monday, the Defence Secretary revealed the UK's plan to replace the Typhoon fighter jet and the concept model of the RAF's next-generation fighter, the Tempest, as part of Combat Air Strategy. 

Prime Minister Theresa May said the Government would grant "£2 billion of investment up to 2025" towards the strategy. 

The strategy will include investments to upgrade the Typhoon, as well as beginning the programme to deliver the 'Tempest' - a possible successor to the Typhoon, with 2035 the target for operational capability.

In response to Mr William's statement, Shadow defence secretary Nia Griffith warned the strategy was being published at a time "when there's a great amount of uncertainty within the aerospace industry about the impact of Brexit", adding: "So does he agree with the assessment of industry, the trade body ADS and members from across the House that the UK must be in a customs union in order to guarantee the industry's future success?"

Mrs Griffith welcomed the publication of the strategy, but asked "whether it might have been better to come forward with an overarching defence industrial strategy to give the wider industry the certainty that it requires".

She also asked whether the Government would be publishing a land strategy sometime in the near future.