Net Zero for Future Combat Air Systems

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Net Zero for Future Combat Air Systems

Climate Change - one of the greatest threats to both UK and global security and prosperity.

As a leading provider of power systems for Defence, we have a fundamental role in meeting the environmental and societal opportunities, and challenges that the world faces. As pioneers, we are developing technology that will play a leading role in enabling and even accelerating the overall global transition to a net zero carbon future.

Our zero-emission 'Spirit of Innovation' aircraft has achieved a new world record for all-electric flight of 345.4mph

Net Zero by 2050

Through our decarbonisation strategy, we will become a net zero carbon company across our value chain by 2050, at the latest.

Sustainability | Rolls-Royce

UK Net Zero Ambitions

In 2019 the UK set a legal requirement to reach net zero emissions by 2050. The UK MOD will play an important role in meeting this commitment by reducing emissions and increasing sustainability. To support this ambition, the UK’s Royal Air Force aims to achieve net zero emissions by 2040 to minimise its impact on the environment and remove delivery risk; if it can achieve this it would become the world’s first Net Zero Air Force.

Creating Resilience for the UK’s Future Combat Air System

This high-profile international programme brings together both UK MOD and industry partners to provide a unique opportunity to demonstrate the UK’s commitment to building a more resilient and sustainable military.

Relationships between global warming, societal disruption and defence demand are all interlinked, depicted in the diagram below. In the past Defence has often been viewed as separate to Sustainability, it is clear that Defence and the Future Combat Air System will be pivotal in our future world.

UK MoD launches FCAS sustainability strategy

Net Zero for Future Combat Air Systems

We’re focussed on innovating sustainable solutions for our Defence customers, and future programmes such as Tempest and the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP). For us, sustainability means more than decarbonisation. Discover how we’re innovating for a sustainable future across global Defence markets and why we’re placing it at the heart of what we do.

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Across Rolls-Royce as a whole, we are already championing sustainable power – developing and testing innovative technologies and systems, with our partners, to create power and energy systems needed to deliver clean, safe and resilient power.

The work we are doing will help to ensure that the Future Combat Air System remains resilient to the effects of climate change and maintains its global freedom to operate when the platforms are due to enter service in 2035.

Sustainable Power through Electrification

The Tempest programme is revolutionising the way we power combat air systems, becoming more electric, more intelligent with the ability to harness more power than before.

Electrification offers the means of more efficient and sustainable flight, by reducing fuel consumption, extending aircraft range and decreasing operating costs for our customers. Through Tempest, we will deliver a more sustainable power that will be intelligently distributed to systems across the platform, ensuring availability of electrical power where it is needed to ensure safe operation.

Innovative developments in all-electric and hybrid electric technology are well-underway at Rolls-Royce. Our ACCEL project has seen the Spirit of Innovation claim a world-speed record as the world’s fastest all-electric vehicle. This advanced battery and propulsion technology can be leveraged into future Defence platforms, such as trainer aircraft

ACCEL: Accelerating the Electrification of Flight

Rolls-Royce is already using 2 - 3 million litres of SAF per year on engine testing.

Sustainable Air Fuels

As part of our commitment to delivering engines that are compatible with and can run on 100% SAF, successful tests have been completed on our Civil engines for large commercial and business jet applications including the Pearl 700, and its Trent 1000 using a Boeing 747 as a testbed aircraft.

World’s First Green Hydrogen Engine Demonstrator

In November 2022, Rolls-Royce and easyJet set a new aviation milestone, running the world’s first modern aero engine on green hydrogen. The test utilised a converted Rolls-Royce AE 2100-A engine which powers military transport and surveillance aircraft as well as small, high-speed regional airliners. We are continuing to push the boundaries to discover the zero carbon possibilities of hydrogen, which could help reshape the future of flight in both civil and defence markets.

Rolls-Royce and easyJet set new world first

World’s First 100% SAF Military Flight

For the Defence sector we are partnering with our customers to help them become more resilient to climate change. Ensuring our engines are compatible with sustainable aviation fuel is just one of the ways we are doing this. In November 2022, Rolls-Royce working closely with RAF, UK MOD, Airbus, AirTanker, and Air bp safely executed the first-ever 100% SAF flight on an in-service defence aircraft, Voyager, powered by Rolls-Royce Trent 700 engines. This achievement successfully demonstrated the UK RAF’s ability to transition to resilient operations.

Accelerating Digitalisation for Sustainability & Resilience

Sustainability is now how we think when we design our future products, ensuring we create power that will be resilient to different types of climate change. As we design the systems for tomorrow, we are already minimising the carbon footprint of our products before anything flies. We’re making sure that our design processes are net zero through life, avoiding unnecessary carbon contribution to the environment, as we transition to become a Digital First company.

Through Life Sustainability and Resilience

For over a hundred years we have supported our products that are in service. By leveraging all that knowledge and expertise and combining it with our experience that we’ve developed in different decarbonisation mechanisms from the civil space, we can present digitals tools back to the customer as options to enhance our products as well as design for sustainability through life. We can digitally optimise our products so that they can still achieve missions, still achieve capability but also have as minimal impact on the environment as possible.

Meet one of our Engineering Technology Interns, who explains how we can adopt the game-changing power of the circular economy to help build resilience for the future.

Generation Net Zero

And we’re not just focussed on our products and enterprises. Our people are a critical part of the journey, a part of the solution for broader change – the Net Zero Generation. The Future Combat Air System will be a global leader in Net Zero innovation, a flagship for the UK’s ambition, inspiring a new generation of engineers and problem solvers. Our people and culture will help lead the way as we embed sustainability at the heart of what we do, from design, manufacture right through to the important through life support activities. If you’re interested in being a part of Generation Net Zero at Rolls-Royce, and a Pioneer of Power, you can discover more here.

Building Supply Chain Resilience

It’s also important that we work with our own supply chains to ensure they are resilient and adaptive to unexpected events and disruptions. We want sustainable Supply Chains that recognise and have the most positive impacts possible on the environmental, social and financial climate. For example, we can better withstand supply chain shocks with carbon reduction plans in place and we can become less reliant on sourcing from new by re-using and recycling end of life products. Sustainable procurement is recognised in the international standards (BS ISO 20400: 2017) and it is imperative that we continue to grow and embed these capabilities.