Sourcing obsolete electronic components is vital for the UK’s armed forces. Many frontline systems have been in service far longer than the production life of the components they depend on.

The RAF’s main frontline fighter, the Eurofighter Typhoon, entered operational service on 4 August 2003, meaning it has been in use for nearly 22 years. The Bowman C4I tactical voice and data communications system, used across all three services, was introduced in 2004. In that time, mobile phones and electronics have advanced dramatically, yet these systems remain operational.

Some frontline equipment is even older:

  • The RAF recently retired the Puma helicopter, which had been in service since 1971, but continues to rely on the Chinook helicopter, introduced in 1980.
  • The Navy’s oldest active frontline vessel is the Hunt-class minesweeper HMS Ledbury, commissioned in June 1981.
  • The Army Air Corps retired its Gazelle helicopters in 2025, after more than 50 years of service since their introduction in 1971.