Image: BAE Systems
BAE Systems has unveiled Brontanax, the UK’s first uncrewed autonomous Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA), as per a recent press statement. Engineers at the company’s Warton, Lancashire site designed and built the prototype, drawing on Britain’s sovereign combat air industrial base.
More than 500 BAE Systems employees have contributed to the aircraft’s development so far. The programme has drawn on over 75 large companies and SMEs across the UK’s aerospace sector.
Brontanax will provide electronic warfare and precision strike capabilities against airborne and ground targets. It is designed to operate alongside frontline aircraft such as Typhoon, boosting combat mass and operational effectiveness. Similar in size to a BAE Systems Hawk, it can be controlled remotely by a Typhoon pilot or mission commander, enabling crewed and uncrewed aircraft to work as a team. Planners expect the aircraft to enter service before the end of the decade.
The launch follows the Government’s Defence Investment Plan, which confirmed £300 million for the StormFighter sovereign autonomous CCA programme. Defence Secretary Wes Streeting commented that the aircraft demonstrates the UK’s skills, technology and determination to lead the world in combat air power. Chief of the Air Staff Air Marshal Sir Harv Smyth added that a prototype is expected to fly next year, supporting the RAF’s ambition to become Europe’s first sixth generation air force.
Brontanax builds on more than 25 years of BAE Systems’ experience in uncrewed and autonomous systems. It was developed through the company’s FalconWorks team, self-funded through internal research and development. The aircraft is now being prepared for ground-based testing at Warton ahead of flight trials in UK airspace.
Learn more on BAE Systems’ website
