Overview
- BAE revealed Brontanax at the Farnborough airshow, which was unveiled on Wednesday, and the company says the Warton-built prototype is now entering ground tests ahead of flight trials next year.
- Defence Secretary Wes Streeting confirmed the government has designated Brontanax as the StormFighter demonstrator and committed £300 million to the sovereign CCA programme to push for in-service capability before 2030.
- BAE describes Brontanax as a ‘loyal wingman’ designed to fly with Typhoon pilots to deliver electronic warfare and precision strikes and says it is aiming for roughly 70–80% of a Typhoon’s capabilities at about 20–25% of the cost.
- The announcement comes as a crowded international market moves from tests to production, with the U.S. Air Force already awarding production contracts to General Atomics and Anduril and Boeing’s MQ-28 completing live-fire and exercise trials.
- BAE says it self-funded much of the work, invested heavily in R&D, and expects StormFighter and Brontanax to support domestic suppliers and jobs while linking to naval carrier integration and wider sixth‑generation fighter plans.