BAE Unveils 20%-Cost Unmanned Fighter as CEO Warns UK Needs 3.5% Defence Spending
Updated
Updated · bbc.co.uk · Jul 23
BAE Unveils 20%-Cost Unmanned Fighter as CEO Warns UK Needs 3.5% Defence Spending
3 articles · Updated · bbc.co.uk · Jul 23
Summary
BAE Systems displayed a life-size model of its Brontanax uncrewed combat aircraft at Farnborough, saying four drones can accompany one manned fighter and sharply expand firepower.
At about 20% of the cost of a piloted aircraft, the system reflects how warfare has shifted toward drones and counter-drones, which CEO Charles Woodburn said Russia and Ukraine now use with growing sophistication.
Woodburn said the UK has been too complacent about foreign attack, calling this the most threatening period of his lifetime and warning autonomous lethal weapons are nearing use by adversaries without human-control rules.
The warning lands amid pressure to raise defence spending: an extra £15 billion would lift it only to 2.68% of GDP by 2030, still short of the government's 3.5% target for 2035.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham and Defence Secretary Wes Streeting cast defence as an engine for jobs and reindustrialisation, a case BAE is pushing as it seeks broader support for higher military budgets.
As the UK invests in new robot wingmen, can it afford to fix its broken submarines and armored vehicles?
With a defence hawk as Chancellor, will UK public services be sacrificed for a new generation of autonomous weapons?
Brontanax Unveiled: How the UK’s First Sovereign Uncrewed Combat Aircraft Signals a Sixth-Generation Air Power Revolution
Overview
The unveiling of Brontanax at the Farnborough International Airshow on July 22, 2026, marks a major leap for UK air power and a pivotal shift in Royal Air Force strategy. As the UK's first sovereign uncrewed Collaborative Combat Aircraft, Brontanax is designed to work seamlessly with existing crewed platforms. This integration aims to exponentially increase the Royal Air Force’s survivability, lethality, and conventional deterrence. By embracing this new technology, the RAF moves closer to its goal of becoming Europe’s first sixth-generation air force, signaling a new era in military capability and strategic advantage.