UK designates Storm Fighter drone wingman to fly with Typhoon, F-35, and Tempest

Published Jul 17, 03:26 PM UTC

The UK has officially designated its Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) drone wingman program as the Storm Fighter, announced by Minister of State for Defense Luke Pollard on July 16, 2026. The program aims to make the Royal Air Force Europe's first sixth-generation air force. Storm Fighter drones will serve as both 'guardian angel' and 'attack dog' for crewed fighters including the Typhoon, F-35, and future Tempest. Two additional drone designs were unveiled: Storm Chrome, an electronic warfare jamming platform, and Storm Fire, a one-way attack drone with 1,000-mile range. The program builds on the operational Storm Shroud drone. The UK's Defense Investment Plan allocates $6.6 billion to drones over four years, with defense spending rising to 3% of GDP. The RAF targets operational CCA capability before the end of the decade.