The Future Offensive Air System was a study to replace the Royal Air Force's strike capability currently provided by the Tornado GR4. Initial operation capability was expected around 2017. The FOAS was cancelled in June 2005 and was replaced by the Deep and Persistent Offensive Capability (DPOC) requirement, which was itself cancelled in the 2010 SDSR.
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However, in 2012 France signed an MoU to join the RAF's latest programme for an unmanned Future Combat Air System (FCAS), which will build upon the BAE Systems Taranis and Dassault nEURON demonstrators.
Under the terms of an Anglo-French development contract announced in 2014, parts from the Taranis will be combined with the Dassault nEUROn in a joint European UCAV.
Options
The capability required may have been provided by any number of systems;
Contractors
Two industry teams were competing for the contract, one led by BAE Systems and the other by LogicaCMG.