Article content

British Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson unveiled a full-sized model of the country’s new fighter jet at the Farnborough International Airshow, a bid to show that Britain plans to remain a so-called Tier One military power after Brexit.

Williamson announced 2 billion pounds ($2.65 billion) of government funding to oversee the design and build of the aircraft through 2025, when a final decision would be taken on the program’s future. The plane — nicknamed the Tempest — is a joint venture with British aerospace companies BAE Systems Plc, Rolls Royce Holdings, MBDA UK and Anglo-Italian firm Leonardo SpA.

We apologize, but this video has failed to load.

tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or 'A dangerous new era': Britain unveils The Tempest fighter jet for a post-Brexit world Back to video

“We are entering a dangerous new era in warfare,” Williamson said, pulling a curtain off the silver and white fighter jet. Britain aims to “keep control of the air both at home and abroad.” He called for more details of the business case to be set out by the end of this year, with the ultimate goal for the aircraft to be operational in 2035.