Forty years ago, the Eurofighter was one of the first programmes our CEO Karen Salmon ever worked on. A few weeks ago she stood at Farnborough and watched it take off, and admits, she was shivering. For a girl who has always been aeroplane mad, that never gets old.
Karen caught up with John Barrett at the Farnborough International Airshow to talk about why this event means so much to us at Force Technologies. Aerospace is our business, and with an RAF family behind her, a lot of the aircraft on display have been part of Karen's life for years.
There are 25 of our products flying on the Eurofighter today. The warnings panel in front of the pilot, the head-up display, the electronics that bring the wheels down, and a chip that helps circulate the air the pilot breathes. They are tiny components, but they make things happen, and I am enormously proud every time that aircraft leaves the ground.
They covered a few things in the interview that we think matter for anyone in this industry:
Legacy is real. The components I designed into that aircraft four decades ago are still in demand today. Two generations of engineers have come and gone, and the parts are still flying. Aircraft simply outlive their electronics.
Upgrades are not just about airframes. Mid-life updates always focus on structures, payload and weapons, and then someone realises the chips to make it all work are no longer available. The electronics have to progress in tandem, and that is where we come in.
Drones are going to squeeze supply. The new UAV manufacturers are taking up a growing share of electronics allocation, a bit like AI has. That means long-term storage becomes essential, and when demand outstrips what the industry can make, the counterfeits come back. It is exactly why we invested in our sovereign test lab.
It proved to be brilliant few days catching up with customers, partners and our distributors. Thank you to John for the conversation, and to everyone who stopped by.
The full interview is below. We are keen to hear how others are planning for the electronics side of their long-term programmes.