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

Image credit: BAE Systems

The United Kingdom has officially designated its Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) drone wingman program as Storm Fighter, with plans for at least two new unmanned aircraft designs to advance its autonomous capabilities. The announcement was made on July 16, with an official stating the UK aims to build "Europe's first sixth-generation air force."

Program Announcement

Luke Pollard, the UK's minister of state for defense readiness and industry, unveiled the new CCA program during a keynote address at the Global Air and Space Chiefs Conference. Pollard described the loyal wingmen's role as both a "guardian angel" and an "attack dog" for British tactical aircraft.

Alongside a planned futuristic fighter, Storm Fighter will "make the Royal Air Force (RAF) Europe's first sixth-generation air force," Pollard said. He added that CCA development would "lay the ground for exports, growth, partnership with friendly nations, more defense jobs, and a more resilient defense industrial base."

The UK's $6.6 Billion Drone Initiative

Late last month, former UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer set out the government's long-awaited Defense Investment Plan (DIP). The plan aims at "keeping the country safe for years to come," according to the government, with the UK Armed Forces' strategy leaning heavily on autonomous systems.

Key details of the Defense Investment Plan include:

• A 10-year blueprint for national security
• Increased defense spending to 3 percent of GDP, with a goal of reaching 3.5 percent by 2035
• $6.6 billion allocated for drones and related capabilities over the next four years

"Drones are rapidly reshaping warfare, with cheap systems destroying high-value targets and innovation cycles measured in weeks, not years," the government stated. "Ukraine uses roughly 200,000 drones a month to defend itself from Russia's barbaric invasion, while at the height of the Iran conflict, 700 offensive drones were being launched per day."

"Future Combat Will Be Swarming With Drones"

"We are maximizing our air power in the eye of the storm of future combat, which will be swarming with drones, sixth-generation fighter jets and ever-evolving EW (electronic warfare) capabilities," Pollard said.

"I am delighted to reveal that our new autonomous CCA program will be named Storm Fighter … to deliver guardian angel and attack dog drones to fly into combat with the Typhoon, F-35, and Tempest. Storm Fighter will make the RAF Europe's first sixth-generation air force," he added.

The drones will extend sensor reach and carry additional weapons for crewed fighters, increasing overall combat mass and survivability.

RAF Receives Major Funding Boost

The RAF is receiving a significant funding increase from the Defense Investment Plan, Pollard confirmed, with $41.7 billion earmarked for air and space programs. This includes funding for:

• GCAP development
• Upgrades for the Eurofighter Typhoon
• Additional F-35 Joint Strike Fighters

Pollard cautioned that replacing combat aircraft entirely with uncrewed systems is "not the right lesson" from Russia's war in Ukraine, noting that the UK needs a "type of air power that only combat jets and deep strike can deliver."

Storm Fighter will "develop autonomous jets here in the UK, providing new levels of lethality and survivability for our crewed jets" and help maximize UK air power, Pollard said at the summit.

The UK's "Storm" Programs

In addition to the Storm Fighter drone program, Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Harv Smyth separately unveiled two new supporting uncrewed designs:

• Storm Chrome – A dedicated electronic warfare jamming platform
• Storm Fire – A one-way attack drone with a 1,000-mile range

According to Aviation Week, Smyth told the conference that the service is targeting an operational CCA capability before the end of the decade.

These new systems build on operational experience gained through Storm Shroud, an autonomous platform that entered RAF service last year. According to the RAF, Storm Shroud is a groundbreaking autonomous electronic warfare drone designed to fly ahead of crewed combat aircraft, such as the F-35B Lightning and Eurofighter Typhoon. It jams and blinds enemy radars to suppress air defenses and protect pilots.