BAE Systems presents Brontanax, the first British sovereign loyal wingman, at Farnborough 2026

BAE Systems took advantage of the third day of the Farnborough International Airshow (July 20-24) to present Brontanax, described as the UK’s first fully sovereign “loyal wingman” combat drone, with its first flight expected in the second half of 2027.

BAE Systems unmanned combat air vehicle technology demonstrator (representative image)

At a glance

Manufacturer: BAE Systems’ FalconWorks (Warton) — the UK’s first sovereign collaborative combat aircraft (CCA).
Size: similar to the BAE Hawk trainer (approximately 12.5 m long and 10 m wingspan).
Mission: electronic warfare and precision strikes against air and ground targets.
Integration: will fly with the Typhoon now and with the Tempest/GCAP in the 2030s.
First flight expected in the second half of 2027; designed for the RAF’s StormFighter requirement.

Announcement details

Developed by FalconWorks, BAE Systems’ advanced projects division in Warton, Brontanax was the company’s star presentation at the show. BAE positions it against the Royal Air Force’s “StormFighter” requirement and also notes a carrier-capable variant that could support Royal Navy operations.

As an autonomous loyal wingman, Brontanax is designed to fly alongside a manned fighter and take on reconnaissance, electronic warfare, and precision strike tasks. Its payload bay could accommodate effectors such as Blizzard, the decoy and suppression system showcased at DSEI 2025.

Program context

The presentation reinforces the UK’s position in a field where several European players have moved before. Brontanax will integrate with the Eurofighter Typhoon in the short term and with the sixth-generation Tempest/GCAP fighter — a joint effort by the UK, Italy, and Japan — in the 2030s.

BAE claims that the platform is approximately the size of its Hawk jet trainer and is also offered to international customers. Industry estimates place the CCA market above $77 billion in the long term.

Why it matters

Brontanax enters an increasingly crowded competition that includes programs from the United States, Australia, and Turkey. Baykar’s KIZILELMA and TUSAS’s ANKA-3 are already flying as jet-powered combat drones, underscoring that the loyal wingman concept has become a defining feature of air power planning for the next decade.