Farnborough Airshow: Drones, Fighter Jets and European Sovereignty Dominate

The Farnborough Airshow, opening Monday in England, will be dominated by discussions on the future European fighter jet, the race to develop drones, and Europe's quest for autonomy amid Washington's unpredictability.

Held every two years in alternation with Le Bourget near Paris, this year's event may also mark the comeback of Boeing, as the company seeks to move past the deep crisis that has shaken the group in recent years.

Defence Sector Gains Ground

"With the war in Ukraine and Donald Trump's rise to power, there has been a real acceleration in issues relating to sovereignty and rearmament in Europe," Pascal Fabre of the international consultancy AlixPartners told AFP.

While the defence sector typically accounts for 40 per cent of exhibitions, this year it is expected to account for almost as much as the civil sector, said Gareth Rogers, the event's managing director.

Ukraine's Prominent Presence

Following its recent spectacular deep strikes against Russian refineries and military installations, Ukraine will have a large presence at the exhibition. Additional space has been set aside to accommodate its exhibitors.

With their "battle-tried" solutions from the drone war, which are "of interest to a huge number of industrial players", the Ukrainians will be "courted" at Farnborough, said Fabre.

GCAP Programme in Focus

Following the abandonment of FCAS, the Franco-German-Spanish fighter aircraft programme, attention at Farnborough will turn to its main rival: the GCAP, developed by Britain, Italy and Japan.

The programme gained momentum this month after the three countries allocated £4.6 billion (€5.3 billion) to continue its development. They aim to have it in service by 2035.

All parties will be "keen to show off the progress made thus far and to emphasise unity now that the UK has finally committed to large-scale funding", said Justin Bronk of the British think tank RUSI.

Boeing's Drone and Defence Partnerships

Boeing will showcase its MQ-28 Ghost Bat, an autonomous combat drone presented as a potential partner for the fighter being developed under the GCAP programme. The aircraft highlights the growing role of drones in modern conflicts, at a time when unmanned systems have radically transformed the Ukrainian front.

The German group Rheinmetall has entered into a partnership with Boeing to integrate the MQ-28 into the German Air Force's capabilities. Developed in collaboration with the Royal Australian Air Force, the aircraft is expected to be available to Germany by 2029. Such partnerships, however, are reigniting the debate on Europe's ambitions for defence sovereignty.

Boeing Under Scrutiny on Commercial Side

On the commercial aircraft side, Boeing – whose reputation has been hit by several incidents involving its planes – will face greater scrutiny regarding the certification timetable for its three new aircraft, all of which are several years behind schedule.