Typhoon Fighter Sovereign Capability

Christopher Chope Excerpts

Wednesday 12th November 2025 Westminster Hall

[Sir Christopher Chope (in the Chair)]

Order. The hon. Gentleman arrived late. He has made an intervention already and is now making a very long intervention. He should have some regard for other Members who have been here throughout the debate.

[Alex Baker]

Thank you, Sir Christopher.

It is innovation with purpose—a partnership between Government, industry and the armed forces that strengthens both our national security and our national prosperity. And now, with the recent deal between the United Kingdom and Turkey for the sale of 20 Typhoon jets—the biggest fighter jet agreement in a generation, securing 20,000 jobs across our defence and aerospace sectors—we can see the global value of this work. This deal is not only a significant export success; it is a vote of confidence in the skills, technology and sovereign capability of our defence industries.

QinetiQ’s engineering services work to help the MOD certify aircraft being delivered to Turkey will demonstrate how British expertise, born in Farnborough, continues to deliver excellence on the world stage. I was so pleased on Monday to welcome the Minister for Defence Readiness and Industry to QinetiQ’s Farnborough HQ. It was an opportunity to see at first hand the extraordinary breadth of its work, from digital engineering and AI-driven analysis to advanced test and evaluation. The Minister saw what I have long known: that QinetiQ is not just maintaining capability but building the future of defence innovation in the United Kingdom.

The Government have published their strategic defence review, and QinetiQ will play a vital role in delivering mission-critical technologies that strengthen the resilience, readiness and reach of our armed forces. From advanced radar systems to digital test environments and next-generation flight safety, its expertise will help to shape a stronger, safer and more technologically advanced Britain. The future is bright, and it is being built in Farnborough by people whose work may not always make the headlines but whose contribution is indispensable to our national security.

There is a story from the early Typhoon test programme that captures this spirit perfectly. One night, a QinetiQ team at Boscombe Down encountered a problem. They worked continuously for 36 hours to analyse data from flight XP13, a trial that had revealed a critical systems anomaly. By dawn, they had identified the fault, developed the fix and cleared the aircraft to return safely to the skies. That single story tells us everything we need to know about QinetiQ’s role. It speaks of persistence and the willingness to stay at the desk long after the world has gone home. It shows precision, because in defence engineering, detail saves lives. It demonstrates partnership —the seamless collaboration between engineers, pilots and scientists—and it reflects pride in knowing that their unseen work makes every mission possible.

As we look to the skies and see a Typhoon soar, let us remember that its power is visible but its brilliance is built in part by QinetiQ, quietly, expertly and proudly carrying forward the legacy of Farnborough’s Royal Aircraft Establishment into a new generation of innovation and national service.

[Sir Christopher Chope (in the Chair)]

I call Luke Akehurst, who I am afraid has been left with only a couple of minutes.

--- Later in debate ---

[Sir Christopher Chope (in the Chair)]

Order. Unfortunately, we have reached 11 o’clock, and although the next debate has been withdrawn, I do not have the discretion to extend this debate. That is something that we might consider on the Modernisation Committee, so that we have a bit more flexibility than we had today.

Motion lapsed (Standing Order No. 10(6)).