Nearly half of new fighter jet jobs based in North West

The United Kingdom's Future Combat Air System program currently supports more than 4,500 jobs nationwide, with 43% based in North West England, according to a parliamentary answer from Defence Minister Luke Pollard. Another 19% are in South West England, 16% in the Midlands, and about 8% in Scotland, while the Defence Investment Plan says 90% of FCAS employment sits outside London and South East England. Team Tempest partners have recruited around 3,000 graduates and apprentices since 2022, but the ministry does not centrally track how many remain on the program or how many workers were reskilled mid-career.