Future of the Royal Air Force The planning for the future of the Royal Air Force involves supporting ongoing British military operations , the introduction of new aircraft types , greater focus on network enabled capability and increasing harmonisation with the United States Armed Forces and those of Europe . In October 2010 , a Strategic Defence and Security Review was published , in which the cancellation of the Nimrod MRA4 maritime patrol aircraft and the early retirement of the Harrier GR9 was announced . F - 35 Lightning II . The Lockheed Martin F - 35 Lightning II is a family of single - seat , single - engine , fifth generation multirole fighters under development to perform ground attack , reconnaissance , and air defence missions with stealth capability . It was selected for the UK ' s Joint Combat Aircraft requirement in 2001 and is expected to enter service with the RAF and the Royal Navy around 2020 , replacing the existing Tornado GR4 and Harrier GR9 fleets ( the latter already having been retired in late 2010 ) , and operating from the Queen Elizabeth class aircraft carrier s . It will be the main component of the RAF ' s manned strike capability . The F - 35 has been designed to have a low radar cross section primarily due to stealthy materials used in construction , including fibre mat . The version initially selected was Short Take Off Vertical Landing ( STOVL ) variant of the F - 35 , known as the F - 35B . However , on 19 October 2010 , David Cameron announced that the UK would change their order to the F - 35C CATOBAR carrier variant for both the RAF and Navy . The F - 35C variant features larger wings with foldable wingtip sections , larger wing and tail control surfaces for improved low - speed control . This gives it a greater range and the ability to carry a larger and more diverse payload than the F - 35B . In May 2012 , it was announced that the UK coalition government had reverted to the previous government ' s plan to operate the Short Take Off Vertical Landing F - 35B , due to rising estimated shipbuilding costs associated with the CATOBAR variant F - 35C , and an earlier estimated in - service date for the F - 35B . The delivery of the UK ' s first F - 35B was made on the 19 July 2012 at Fort Worth , Texas , for flight trials by the RAF and Royal Navy . Unmanned Aerial Vehicles . MQ - 9 Reaper . The RAF acquired its first MQ - 9 Reaper unmanned aerial vehicle s in 2006 under an Urgent Operational Requirement for Afghanistan . No . 39 Squadron operates the MQ - 9 Reaper from Creech AFB in the US , and uses US communications infrastructure . In October 2012 No . 13 Squadron reformed operating and additional 5 MQ - 9 Reapers from RAF Waddington . In 2013 the Reapers based at Creech AFB will be moved to the UK to operate alongside the other Reapers at RAF Waddington . Mantis . The BAE Mantis is an Unmanned Autonomous System Advanced Concept Technology Demonstrator British demonstrator programme for Unmanned Combat Air Vehicle ( UCAV ) technology . It is the world ' s first unmanned autonomous aircraft . The Mantis is a twin - engine , turboprop - powered UCAV with a wingspan of approximately 22 m , broadly comparable to the MQ - 9 . The large dome on the front , reminiscent of a pilot ' s canopy , actually contains an upward facing satellite communications system . The prototype first flew on 21 October 2009 at Woomera Test Range in South Australia . Scavenger / Telemos . The Scavenger programme will supply a next - generation medium - altitude , long - endurance ( MALE ) UAV under British sovereign control . The General Atomics Avenger ( Predator C ) , EADS Talarion and a development of the BAE Systems Mantis were all mooted as contenders for Scavenger . In June 2011 it was announced that BAE and Dassault would collaborate on an aircraft called Telemos as the air component of Scavenger . It has been suggested that BAE will supply an airframe and guidance based on the Mantis , with a payload from Thales and integration by Dassault . Requirements and basic specifications like the type of engine , have yet to be settled , but Telemos is scheduled to enter service in 2020 . Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicle . The Strategic Unmanned Air Vehicles ( Experiment ) Integrated Project Team , or SUAV ( E ) IPT is responsible for directing the work required to establish the potential of Unmanned Air Vehicles . The demonstrator will have two internal weapons bays . The current plan seems to be a collaboration with France to enter service in 2030 . The autonomous BAE Taranis is a technology demonstrator programme , possibly leading to a future Strategic Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicle ( UCAV ) for both ground attack and reconnaissance roles . It is an unmanned warplane which is designed to fly between continents . With the inclusion of " full autonomy " the intention is thus for this platform to be able to " think for itself " for a large part of the mission . It will carry a variety of weapons which will enable it to attack planes and also targets on the ground . It will utilise stealth technology making it difficult to detect and it can be controlled from anywhere in the world via satellite communications . Novel Air Concept . The Novel Air Concept is a " Capability Vision " , an initiative of the Ministry of Defence to stimulate innovative solutions to long - term defence challenges that may lead to a future capability . The NAC concept , announced in 2009 , envisages a UAV with folding rotor blades that would allow it to take off as helicopter and allow operation in an urban environment . Transport and air - to - air refuelling . Atlas . Future transport capability will rely on the Airbus A400M Atlas , of which 22 are to be used to replace the remaining Hercules C1 / C3 ( C - 130K ) aircraft . The ageing aerial refuelling fleet of VC10 s and Tristar s will be replaced from 2012 onwards with 14 Airbus A330 MRTT tanker - transports , named Voyagers in RAF service , under the Future Strategic Tanker Aircraft programme . The Airbus A400M will increase the airlift capacity and range compared with the aircraft it was originally set to replace , the older versions of the Hercules and Transall . Cargo capacity is expected to double over existing aircraft , both in payload and volume , and range is increased substantially as well . The cargo box is 17 . 71 m long excluding ramp , 4 . 00 m wide , and 3 . 85 m high . The height is 4 . 00 m aft of the wing and the ramp is 5 . 40 m long . The Airbus A400M will operate in many configurations including cargo transport , troop transport , Medical evacuation , aerial refuelling , and electronic surveillance . The aircraft is intended for use on short , soft landing strips and for long - range , cargo transport flights . Voyager . The Airbus A330MRTT Voyager is an aerial refuelling tanker aircraft based on the civilian Airbus A330 - 200 . It is designed as a dual - role air - to - air refuelling and transport aircraft . The Voyager ' s cabin can be modified to carry up to 380 passengers in a single class configuration , allowing a complete range of configurations from maximised troop transport to complex customisation suitable for VIP and guest missions . It can also be configured to perform Medical Evacuation ( Medevac ) missions ; up to 130 standard stretchers can be carried . The main deck cargo configuration allows carriage of standard commercial containers and pallets . military , ISO and NATO pallets ( including seats ) and containers , and military equipment and other large items which are loaded through a cargo door . A variant of the A330 MRTT was selected to provide tanking service for the RAF for the next 30 years under the Future Strategic Tanker Aircraft ( FSTA ) programme , replacing the RAF ' s existing L - 1011 and VC10 tankers . On 27 March 2008 the UK Ministry of Defence signed a deal to lease 14 aircraft under a private finance initiative arrangement from EADS - led consortium AirTanker , with the first aircraft to enter service in 2011 . There are two versions , designated Voyager KC2 and Voyager KC3 ; one will be fitted with two Cobham 905E under - wing refuelling pods , the other with a Cobham 805E Fuselage Refuelling Unit ( FRU ) in addition to the under - wing pods . The aircraft will be powered by two UK - manufactured Rolls - Royce Trent 700 engines . Signals Intelligence . Air Seeker . Three Boeing RC - 135 " Rivet Joint " signals intelligence aircraft have been ordered to replace the Nimrod R1 , which was retired in 2011 . These will be known as the Air Seeker when they enter RAF service in 2014 . The aircraft is an extensively modified C - 135 with onboard sensors which enable the crew to detect , identify and geolocate signals throughout the electromagnetic spectrum . The crew can then forward information in a variety of formats to a wide range of consumers via the onboard secure communications suite . SOLOMON . In 2004 the RAF initiated Project DABINETT , an integrated architecture to collect , process and disseminate intelligence from manned and unmanned aircraft such as Sentinel and Watchkeeper . Initial Gate was approved in January 2008 ; when assessment phase contracts were awarded to BAe INSYTE and Lockheed Martin UK in February 2010 it had been renamed Project SOLOMON . Phase I concentrates on disseminating information over the UK Defence Information Infrastructure networks , with Initial Operating Capability in March 2012 and Full Operating Capability in March 2015 . Helicopters . Chinook . On 16 December 2009 , the MoD announced that 22 Chinook helicopters would be added to the fleet bringing the total number in service to 70 by 2013 . In the 2010 SDSR , this number was reduced to 14 . The deal has been made and the Chinooks will enter service from late 2014 onwards . In 2006 , the retirement dates for the HC2 and HC2A fleets were scheduled for 2015 and 2025 respectively , however if planned upgrades were made both types could expect to be flying until 2040 . Puma . A total of 24 Puma HC1 ' s will be upgraded to HC2 standard to prolong their life until 2025 . Bases and deployments . The 2010 SDSR resulted in the closure or planned closure of a small number of UK RAF stations . Many stations will be upgraded or realigned over the coming decade to accommodate new aircraft and modes of operation . Missiles . The RAF has signed a contract to receive the Meteor BVRAAM missile for its Eurofighter Typhoon s , expected to replace the AMRAAM s in service .