PRIME Minister Rishi Sunak launched the first major phase of the programme during a visit to RAF Coningsby, in Lincolnshire, on Friday.

He arrived at the base in an RAF Hercules plane and was welcomed by Chief of the Air Staff Sir Mike Wigston and RAF Coningsby’s station commander Billy Cooper.

Mr Sunak was shown Typhoon aircraft and went into a hangar to view a model of the Tempest jet that is being developed.He told reporters the announcement of the defence partnership was “incredibly important”.

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