UK Launches Storm Fighter Loyal Wingman Programme to Build Europe’s First Sixth-Generation Air Force

Key facts

• The UK Royal Air Force launched the Storm Fighter collaborative combat aircraft (CCA) programme to develop autonomous loyal wingman drones.
• The programme is backed by £5 billion (approx. $6.6 billion) over the next four years.
• Storm Fighter will operate alongside the RAF's Typhoon, F-35B Lightning II, and the future Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP) fighter.
• The announcement was made by UK Minister for Defence Readiness and Industry Luke Pollard at the Air & Space Power Association global air and space chiefs' conference in London.
• The United States Air Force has selected General Atomics' YFQ-42A and Anduril's YFQ-44A Fury as first CCA prototypes under its own programme.
• The YFQ-44A Fury became the first US CCA to successfully fire a live AIM-120 AMRAAM air-to-air missile.
• India is developing an indigenous manned-unmanned teaming capability through the Combat Air Teaming System (CATS), jointly developed by HAL and New Space Research & Technologies.
• The CATS Warrior, designed to operate alongside Su-30MKI, Tejas Mk1A, and future AMCA, has completed its engine ground run and was displayed at Aero India 2025.