In its latest social media statement, BAE Systems said Brontanax was significant because of the capabilities it could enable rather than the aircraft alone. The company presented the programme as part of a broader change in air power and its commitment to delivering operational capability at a lower cost.
Brontanax was designed and built at BAE Systems’ combat-air site in Warton, Lancashire. More than 500 company employees have worked on the prototype alongside over 75 large businesses and SMEs from across the UK aerospace supply chain.
The aircraft is part of the UK’s StormFighter sovereign autonomous combat-aircraft programme, which has received a £300 million government commitment through the Defence Investment Plan. BAE Systems has said the platform could be available to enter service before the end of the decade.
Brontanax, the UK’s first uncrewed Collaborative Combat Aircraft represents a significant step forward in how we think about air power.
What makes it significant is not just the aircraft itself, but what it enables. Operating alongside crewed platforms like @eurofighter Typhoon,… pic.twitter.com/BulUlPmPLz
— BAE Systems Air (@BAESystemsAir) August 24, 2026
Similar in size to a BAE Systems Hawk, Brontanax is designed for electronic warfare and precision strikes against airborne and ground targets. A Typhoon pilot or mission commander will be able to direct the aircraft remotely as part of a crewed-uncrewed formation.
“We recognise armed forces are being challenged to meet the demands of speed, adaptability and scale,” said Simon Barnes, Group Managing Director of BAE Systems’ Air sector. “Our Collaborative Combat Aircraft will provide the ability to extend the reach of crewed aircraft, generating greater combat mass at lower cost, while keeping pilots out of harm’s way.”
“The RAF is determined to become Europe’s first 6th Generation Air Force, driving innovation and accelerating the adoption of cutting-edge technology to stay ahead in an increasingly complex and contested battlespace,” said Air Marshal Sir Harv Smyth, Chief of the Air Staff. “Working alongside BAE Systems, we are taking a major step towards that ambition, with a prototype expected to fly next year.”
Brontanax uses an open architecture and modular design intended to allow changes in payloads and capabilities as operational requirements evolve. The prototype is being prepared for ground testing at Warton before planned flight trials in UK airspace.
BAE Systems said the aircraft draws on more than 25 years of company work in uncrewed and autonomous systems. Brontanax was developed through the FalconWorks team and has so far been financed through BAE Systems’ own research and development spending.
