In what is being described as a “first of its kind” initiative for the Royal Air Force (RAF), individual parts from its retired fleet of Tornado fighter jets are being ground down and 3D printed into new components suitable for the UK’s next generation of military aircraft, to be known as the Tempest. The next generation fighter jet, to be manufactured by BAE Systems, is due to enter service in 2035.
The innovative recycling program, known as the ‘Tornado 2 Tempest’ project, has seen parts from old Tornado aircraft turned into powered metal and used to 3D print new components suitable for the Tempest. According to an RAF statement, “This is a great example of UK-developed technology of the future and demonstrates the UK defense industry as an engine for growth and a key part of the Government’s Plan for Change.”
“The development could save taxpayer money, reduce the UK’s reliance on global supply chains of critical and high-value metals, and produce components that are lighter, stronger, and longer lasting than those made through traditional forging techniques,” the statement adds.
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Many of the Ministry of Defence’s surplus assets contain strategic metals, including high-quality steel, aluminum, and titanium, and the Tornado 2 Tempest project team has been identifying whether some of these components could be atomized into powders (known as feedstock) for additive manufacturing to make new parts.
Tornado parts containing titanium, including jet engine compressor blades from a low-pressure air compressor, were selected for a trial of the project and its feasibility. These blades were cleaned, atomized, and recycled into a 3D printed nose cone and compressor blades by Additive Manufacturing Solutions Limited (AMS) for Orpheus, Rolls-Royce’s small engine concept that is part of the UK Ministry of Defense (MOD) Future Combat Air System (FCAS) program tasked to deliver Tempest in the next decade.
The nose cone was fitted onto an Orpheus test engine and passed suitability and safety checks, which demonstrated to the invested parties that the technique has potential use in the sixth-generation jet.
“The Tornado 2 Tempest project highlights the creativity, ingenuity, and innovation defense employs in our approach to national security,” said Maria Eagle, the UK Government Minister for Defence Procurement and Industry. “By working with key industry partners, we can deliver savings, reduce reliance on global supply chains, and ensure our Armed Forces have the very best kit to keep our country safe.
Not only does this initiative have a positive impact on the environment and national security, it supports the domestic defense industry acting as an engine for growth, which is at the heart of Plan for Change,” Eagle added.
The project is being led by Defence Equipment and Support’s (DE&S) Defence Recycling & Disposals Team (DRDT) in partnership with the MOD FCAS team, Rolls-Royce, and AMS based in Burscough, Lancashire. The initiative also led to the creation of three jobs and sustained two at AMS. The business now expects to create 25 new jobs by offering the innovation to other suppliers.
Bringing benefits to defense
A team of more than 80 people participated in the project, including DRDT’s commercial graduates and Rolls-Royce graduate apprentices, combining current skills and innovative technologies to deliver and maintain future capabilities.
According to the RAF statement on the project, “The feat shows that turning old parts into new is viable and could bring huge benefits to the MOD and wider Defence, especially through increasing the accessibility of strategic metals to the UK Defence industry and suppliers.”
“The Tornado 2 Tempest project exemplifies the forward-thinking sustainability principles embedded in the FCAS Sustainability Strategy and MoD Defence Support Strategy,” said Andrew Eady of Rolls-Royce. “This project is bold, exciting, and innovative, and a demonstration of exemplary collaboration between the MoD, industry, and SMEs, furthering the drive for circular economy practices and innovative digital enablers in Defence.”
“At AMS our tagline is ‘Innovative Solutions for a Sustainable Future’ and we were confident our innovations and ideas would have a great bearing on the future of a resilient supply, added Robert Higham, a director at AMS. “This project turned our proposed solutions into a reality, and we have been very humbled and grateful to the MOD and Rolls Royce, for allowing us to showcase our capability to deliver game-changing circular economy processes and parts in defense,” Higham concluded.
