July was an important month for the Tempest programme. The Royal International Air Tattoo (RIAT) opened with UK and Swedish governments stating their intent to collaborate on future combat air systems (FCAS). The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) commits both governments to work on a joint combat air development and acquisition programme, including the development of new concepts to meet both nations’ future requirements.
One of the key themes of the programme in the UK is to inspire the next generation of engineers whose skills and creativity will be instrumental in developing the technology to deliver the required capability. An RAF Inspire event to celebrate the next generation of engineering innovation held earlier in month in London was the perfect opportunity at which to launch the social media channels for Team Tempest and promote the new hashtag #GenerationTempest.
With RIAT following shortly after this launch, the channels were able to show the draw of the Team Tempest concept aircraft which was on display at RIAT. The event’s Technozone also provided an opportunity for the Team Tempest partners to engage with the next generation, with our STEM Ambassadors showing young engineering enthusiasts how our electronic super sensors help guide, inform and protect aircrews on aircraft in operation around the world.
July also marked the return of the Royal Navy Black Cats to the RNAS Yeovilton annual Air Day. Leonardo is a proud sponsor for the Black Cats display team and it was thrilling to see them take to the skies again at the Air Show, which featured a wide assortment of aircraft designed and built at our historic Yeovil site or equipped by our engineers across the UK.
Finally, July may seem like a strange month to think about snow, but during the RIAT weekend around 50 Leonardo cyclists from across the UK took part in a challenge that saw them cycle a combined total of over 10,000 miles before descending on the Steel City, Sheffield, for the culmination of the 2019 Ride of Steel as part of our ongoing charitable commitment to the UK’s Armed Forces Para-Snowsport Team.
