Replica was a design study for an envisioned military aircraft with
stealth capabilities, developed by
British
British may refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies.
** Britishness, the British identity and common culture
* British English, ...
defence manufacturer
BAE Systems
BAE Systems plc (BAE) is a British multinational arms, security, and aerospace company based in London, England. It is the largest defence contractor in Europe, and ranked the seventh-largest in the world based on applicable 2021 revenues. ...
. It was ultimately not pursued as the British government chose to proceed with involvement in the American
Joint Strike Fighter programme
Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) is a development and acquisition program intended to replace a wide range of existing fighter, strike, and ground attack aircraft for the United States, the United Kingdom, Italy, Canada, Australia, the Netherlands ...
instead, which ultimately led to the
Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II
The Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II is an American family of single-seat, single-engine, all-weather stealth multirole combat aircraft that is intended to perform both air superiority and strike missions. It is also able to provide ele ...
.
The design study was associated with the
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and ...
's (RAF)
Future Offensive Air System
The Future Offensive Air System was a study to replace the Royal Air Force's strike capability, at the time provided by the Tornado GR4. Initial operational capability was expected around 2017. The FOAS was cancelled in June 2005 and was replaced ...
(FOAS) initiative, which was ultimately discontinued. A key attribute of the conceptualised aircraft was the integration of
low observability features, which were intended to achieve a balance between reduced detectability and overall affordability. As part of the study, a full size model of the aircraft was constructed and was subjected to a rigorous test regime to determine its
radar cross section
Radar cross-section (RCS), also called radar signature, is a measure of how detectable an object is by radar. A larger RCS indicates that an object is more easily detected.
An object reflects a limited amount of radar energy back to the source. ...
. During early 2003, the existence of the Replica programme was revealed to the general public.
According to reports, the Replica project is known to have been worked on from 1994 to 1999. It is widely believed that Replica may have been once intended to replace the RAF's
Panavia Tornado
The Panavia Tornado is a family of twin-engine, variable-sweep wing multirole combat aircraft, jointly developed and manufactured by Italy, the United Kingdom and West Germany. There are three primary Tornado variants: the Tornado IDS (inter ...
fleet from 2017 onwards. Experience and data acquired through the programme was later rolled into the
Joint Strike Fighter programme
Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) is a development and acquisition program intended to replace a wide range of existing fighter, strike, and ground attack aircraft for the United States, the United Kingdom, Italy, Canada, Australia, the Netherlands ...
(JSF), while technologies from Replica have reportedly played a role in the development of other aircraft, including
unmanned aerial vehicle
An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), commonly known as a drone, is an aircraft without any human pilot, crew, or passengers on board. UAVs are a component of an unmanned aircraft system (UAS), which includes adding a ground-based controller ...
(UAV)s.
[.][.]
Development
Background
During the 1980s and 1990s, various nations developed an interest in the development of a new generation of aircraft that incorporated
stealth features. Considering its long term requirements and future inventory, during the 1990s, the
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and ...
(RAF) launched the
Future Offensive Air System
The Future Offensive Air System was a study to replace the Royal Air Force's strike capability, at the time provided by the Tornado GR4. Initial operational capability was expected around 2017. The FOAS was cancelled in June 2005 and was replaced ...
(FOAS) programme, which sought to study various options for performing its missions, including unconventional methods along with concepts of both manned combat aircraft and
unmanned aerial vehicle
An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), commonly known as a drone, is an aircraft without any human pilot, crew, or passengers on board. UAVs are a component of an unmanned aircraft system (UAS), which includes adding a ground-based controller ...
s. British defense manufacturer
BAE Systems
BAE Systems plc (BAE) is a British multinational arms, security, and aerospace company based in London, England. It is the largest defence contractor in Europe, and ranked the seventh-largest in the world based on applicable 2021 revenues. ...
, having taken an interest in the fledgling FOAS effort and keen to develop its technical experience in a relatively new field of military technology, quickly elected to participate. The company decided to embark upon a design study, conceptualising a stealthy strike aircraft, which came to be known by the name ''Replica''.
In concept, it is known that Replica had not been designed with the intention of achieving equivalent detection difficulty as some of the more exotic (and extremely expensive) advanced stealth aircraft that had been produced by that point, such as the American-built
Lockheed F-117 Nighthawk
The Lockheed F-117 Nighthawk is a retired American single-seat, twin-engine stealth attack aircraft developed by Lockheed's secretive Skunk Works division and operated by the United States Air Force (USAF). It was the first operational air ...
s
strike aircraft
An attack aircraft, strike aircraft, or attack bomber is a tactical military aircraft that has a primary role of carrying out airstrikes with greater precision than bombers, and is prepared to encounter strong low-level air defenses while pr ...
and the
Northrop Grumman B-2 Spirit
The Northrop (later Northrop Grumman) B-2 Spirit, also known as the Stealth Bomber, is an American heavy strategic bomber, featuring low-observable stealth technology designed to penetrate dense anti-aircraft defenses. A subsonic flying ...
strategic bomber
A strategic bomber is a medium- to long-range penetration bomber aircraft designed to drop large amounts of air-to-ground weaponry onto a distant target for the purposes of debilitating the enemy's capacity to wage war. Unlike tactical bombers, ...
.
According to international science publication
New Scientist
''New Scientist'' is a magazine covering all aspects of science and technology. Based in London, it publishes weekly English-language editions in the United Kingdom, the United States and Australia. An editorially separate organisation publishe ...
, British stealth specialists have stated of the programme that Replica's visibility characteristics had achieved the envisioned target, which involved a balance between low observability and overall affordability. It also demonstrated British expertise in the complex world of
stealth technology
Stealth technology, also termed low observable technology (LO technology), is a sub-discipline of military tactics and passive and active electronic countermeasures, which covers a range of methods used to make personnel, aircraft, ships, subm ...
.
The Replica programme was received with official approval and backing, funding for proceeding with development work was provided by the
Ministry of Defence
{{unsourced, date=February 2021
A ministry of defence or defense (see spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is an often-used name for the part of a government responsible for matters of defence, found in states ...
, as well as self-invested by BAE Systems itself.
During 2003, the reported overall cost of the programme was stated to have been £20 million. During its active years, the Replica programme was carried out under high levels of secrecy; its existence was unknown to the general public until the early 2000s.
Model and reveal
During the mid-1990s, development work on the project had proceeded so far as to prompt the company to commence construction of a full-scale model of the aircraft.
According to press reports, this model was completed during 1999, by which point the Replica programme had been under way for five years. According to comments issued by BAE Systems, Replica was subject to a "rigorous test programme".
One of the known aims of these tests was to acquire relevant data from which to evaluate the aircraft's
radar cross section
Radar cross-section (RCS), also called radar signature, is a measure of how detectable an object is by radar. A larger RCS indicates that an object is more easily detected.
An object reflects a limited amount of radar energy back to the source. ...
, which was deemed to have been a key component of its low observability characteristics.
It is known that one major contributing factor to the overall
radar signature
Radar is a detection system that uses radio waves to determine the distance (''ranging''), angle, and radial velocity of objects relative to the site. It can be used to detect aircraft, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor vehicles, weat ...
of an airframe is the level of precision involved in both the fabrication and assembly of its components and sections into a finished aircraft.
Any edges or gaps, which are prone to generating strong radar reflections, are to be typically avoided wherever possible. Replica's designers chose to approach this issue by producing a virtual model of the aircraft using
computer-aided design
Computer-aided design (CAD) is the use of computers (or ) to aid in the creation, modification, analysis, or optimization of a design. This software is used to increase the productivity of the designer, improve the quality of design, improve c ...
(CAD) tools from which data was transferred directly to high precision
computer-aided manufacturing
Computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) also known as computer-aided modeling or computer-aided machining is the use of software to control machine tools in the manufacturing of work pieces. This is not the only definition for CAM, but it is the most ...
(CAM) systems to produce components in the real world.
This approach is known to have been used in the manufacture of the
composite
Composite or compositing may refer to:
Materials
* Composite material, a material that is made from several different substances
** Metal matrix composite, composed of metal and other parts
** Cermet, a composite of ceramic and metallic materials
...
panels (composed of a
carbon fiber reinforced polymer
Carbon fiber-reinforced polymers (American English), carbon-fibre-reinforced polymers (Commonwealth English), carbon-fiber-reinforced plastics, carbon-fiber reinforced-thermoplastic (CFRP, CRP, CFRTP), also known as carbon fiber, carbon compo ...
) which were used for the skin of the aircraft. Assembly methods employed the use of a
laser projector
A laser projector is a device that projects changing laser beams on a screen to create a moving image for entertainment or professional use. It consists of a housing that contains lasers, mirrors, galvanometer scanners, and other optical component ...
, which aided in the correct alignment of these panels.
During early 2003, the existence of the previously secretive Replica programme was revealed to the public.
This announcement on Britain’s stealth plane was made in the form of a brief statement, which was accompanied by a single photograph of the aircraft mock-up which had been declassified. Details on the purpose and specifics of the design's attributes have remained relatively scant, it is not known whether measures to minimise its infra-red, acoustic or visual signatures were used or of their effectiveness.
At the time of the reveal, New Scientist speculated that technology derived from Replica would likely play a role in the development of future aircraft, potentially including both of the manned and unmanned concept aircraft which had been under consideration under the then-ongoing FOAS programme, which was seeking a replacement for the RAF's aging fleet of
Panavia Tornado GR4
The Panavia Tornado is a family of twin-engine, variable-sweep wing multirole combat aircraft, jointly developed and manufactured by Italy, the United Kingdom and West Germany. There are three primary Tornado variants: the Tornado IDS (interd ...
strike aircraft around 2017.
Further development
During February 2014, the testbed model of Replica was seen being transported around the
BAE Warton
Warton Aerodrome is located in Warton village on the Fylde in Lancashire, England. The aerodrome is west of Preston, Lancashire, UK.
Today the airfield is a major assembly and testing facility of BAE Systems Military Air & Information. It ...
test facility in Lancashire, England. During the brief 2014 sighting, the aircraft was sporting a new low-visibility coating and minor structural changes and was upside down on a platform being taken into an enclosed hangar.
According to journalists, these changes were believed to be most likely to be related to the in-development
unmanned
An uncrewed vehicle or unmanned vehicle is a vehicle without a person on board. Uncrewed vehicles can either be under telerobotic control—remote controlled or remote guided vehicles—or they can be autonomously controlled—autonomous vehicl ...
Taranis
In Celtic mythology, Taranis (Proto-Celtic: *''Toranos'', earlier ''*Tonaros''; Latin: Taranus, earlier Tanarus) is the god of thunder, who was worshipped primarily in Gaul, Hispania, Britain, and Ireland, but also in the Rhineland and Danube r ...
aircraft, aiding in the further refinement of its design and supporting the development of new stealth coatings for the Anglo-Franco
Future Combat Air System
The Future Combat Air System (FCAS), french: Système de combat aérien du futur; SCAF; es, Futuro Sistema Aéreo de Combate; FSAC) is a European combat system of systems under development by Dassault Aviation, Airbus and Indra Sistemas. Th ...
(FCAS). As of March 2014, the Replica testbed is back on its radar testing plinth at
BAE Warton
Warton Aerodrome is located in Warton village on the Fylde in Lancashire, England. The aerodrome is west of Preston, Lancashire, UK.
Today the airfield is a major assembly and testing facility of BAE Systems Military Air & Information. It ...
but now in its new paint scheme.
According to an article published by the
Royal Aeronautical Society
The Royal Aeronautical Society, also known as the RAeS, is a British multi-disciplinary professional institution dedicated to the global aerospace community. Founded in 1866, it is the oldest aeronautical society in the world. Members, Fellows ...
, Replica, representing a domestically developed stealth fighter and serving to showcase both Britain and BAE Systems' expertise in developing low observability technologies, had functioned as "Britain’s entry ticket to JSF at the highest level".
It was alleged in this same article that the aircraft had been pursued as an insurance measure if collaboration in the American-led JSF programme had turned sour. In the aftermath of Replica, BAE Systems has participated in multiple programmes involving low observability, including participation on the F-35 and various UAV programmes, such as the
Taranis
In Celtic mythology, Taranis (Proto-Celtic: *''Toranos'', earlier ''*Tonaros''; Latin: Taranus, earlier Tanarus) is the god of thunder, who was worshipped primarily in Gaul, Hispania, Britain, and Ireland, but also in the Rhineland and Danube r ...
UCAV demonstrator.
[Robinson, Tim]
"Turkey’s TF-X fighter throws a lifeline to UK military aerospace."
''Royal Aeronautical Society
The Royal Aeronautical Society, also known as the RAeS, is a British multi-disciplinary professional institution dedicated to the global aerospace community. Founded in 1866, it is the oldest aeronautical society in the world. Members, Fellows ...
'', 7 February 2017.
Design
The BAE Systems Replica was a studied twin-seat
strike fighter
In current military parlance, a strike fighter is a multirole combat aircraft designed to operate both as an attack aircraft and as an air superiority fighter. As a category, it is distinct from fighter-bombers. It is closely related to the c ...
. It was equipped with various
stealth features, such as the adoption of a
V-tail
The V-tail or ''Vee-tail'' (sometimes called a butterfly tail or Rudlicki's V-tailGudmundsson S. (2013). "General Aviation Aircraft Design: Applied Methods and Procedures" (Reprint). Butterworth-Heinemann. p. 489. , 9780123973290) of an aircraft ...
arrangement, to reduce the aircraft's
radar cross-section
Radar cross-section (RCS), also called radar signature, is a measure of how detectable an object is by radar. A larger RCS indicates that an object is more easily detected.
An object reflects a limited amount of radar energy back to the source. ...
, as well as its weight. Externally, the airframe resembled the American
Northrop YF-23
The Northrop/McDonnell Douglas YF-23 is an American single-seat, twin-engine stealth fighter aircraft technology demonstrator designed for the United States Air Force (USAF). The design was a finalist in the USAF's Advanced Tactical Fighter ( ...
prototype stealth fighter, as well as the jointly-developed BAE Systems/
McDonnell Douglas
McDonnell Douglas was a major American aerospace manufacturing corporation and defense contractor, formed by the merger of McDonnell Aircraft and the Douglas Aircraft Company in 1967. Between then and its own merger with Boeing in 1997, it produ ...
/
Northrop Grumman
Northrop Grumman Corporation is an American multinational aerospace and defense technology company. With 90,000 employees and an annual revenue in excess of $30 billion, it is one of the world's largest weapons manufacturers and military techn ...
proposal that was submitted for the
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Signal ...
(USAF)
Advanced Tactical Fighter
The Advanced Tactical Fighter (ATF) was a demonstration and validation program undertaken by the United States Air Force to develop a next-generation air superiority fighter to counter emerging worldwide threats, including Soviet Sukhoi Su-27 ...
(ATF), although Replica was developed independently of either of these aircraft. To fulfill the stringent requirements of the FOAS programme, Replica is believed to have been designed with provisions to accommodate an internal weapons bay, capable of carrying both
ASRAAM
The Advanced Short Range Air-to-Air Missile (ASRAAM), also known by its United States designation AIM-132, is an imaging infrared homing (heat seeking) air-to-air missile, produced by MBDA UK, that is designed for close-range combat. It is in s ...
air-to-air missile
The newest and the oldest member of Rafael's Python family of AAM for comparisons, Python-5 (displayed lower-front) and Shafrir-1 (upper-back)
An air-to-air missile (AAM) is a missile fired from an aircraft for the purpose of destroying a ...
s for self-defence purposes and a number of
laser-guided bomb
A laser-guided bomb (LGB) is a guided bomb that uses semi-active laser guidance to strike a designated target with greater accuracy than an unguided bomb. First developed by the United States during the Vietnam War, laser-guided bombs quickly p ...
s within the 2, 000 lb range.
[.]
Tempest
At the 2018
Farnborough Air Show
The Farnborough Airshow, officially the Farnborough International Airshow, is a trade exhibition for the aerospace and defence industries, where civilian and military aircraft are demonstrated to potential customers and investors. Since its fir ...
, BAE Systems unveiled a mock-up of a proposed future combat aircraft, named
Tempest
Tempest is a synonym for a storm.
'' The Tempest'' is a play by William Shakespeare.
Tempest or The Tempest may also refer to:
Arts and entertainment Films
* ''The Tempest'' (1908 film), a British silent film
* ''The Tempest'' (1911 film), a ...
. The mock-up bore a strong resemblance to the Replica test model.
Specifications
*Length: (Estimated) 20.8 metres ( 68.32 Ft)
*Wingspan: (Estimated) 15.3 metres ( 50.34 ft)
*Height: (Estimated) 4.8 metres ( 15.74 ft )
*Wing area: (Estimated) 104 m2 ( 1120 ft2)
*Max take of weight : unavailable
*Max speed : unavailable
References
{{BAE aircraft
United Kingdom defence procurement
BAE Systems research and development
Cancelled military aircraft projects of the United Kingdom